Cooperativa dos Agricultores Familiares de Poco Fundo e Regi, Brazil
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Here at Coopfam, we have been producing coffee for many years. Today we sell our coffee Fair Trade through the cooperative. This is a good arrangement that we are very happy with.
--- Adilson Mendes Silva, Coopfam Member Cooperativa dos Agricultores Familiares de Poco Fundo e Regi, Ltda (Coopfam) is an association of small-scale farmers located in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. Coopfam was formed from a collective desire to improve the living standard of farmers and to reduce poverty and emigration. In 1991, 76 families united to form the cooperative, determined to increase the productivity of their small plots and to sustain the quality of family-oriented agriculture in the region. Coopfam was Fair Trade certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) in 1998 and began exporting to the United States in 2003.
The Brazil Responsible Sourcing Partnership
Coopfam is one of fifteen Brazilian Fair Trade Certified producer groups that participated in the 2007-2010 Responsible Sourcing Partnership (RSP) project. The RSP project is a result of a partnership between USAID, TransFair USA, Walmart Stores, Inc. and SEBRAE-MG designed to improve the quality of Brazilian coffee, increase market linkages and raise producer capacity. Through the partnership, Coopfam participated in cooperative governance trainings, business management trainings, cupper trainings and post-harvest best practices trainings to improve coffee quality.
Highlights
In 2009, Coopfam received funds through the Responsible Sourcing Partnership to expand and renovate its cupping laboratory. Coopfam self-identified this project as its single greatest infrastructure need and emphasized the fundamental importance of understanding coffee quality. The new laboratory is currently up and running. 100 percent of Coopfam's members have access to the laboratory and the co-op has plans to train many additional members in basic cupping skills.
The Fair Trade premium has enabled Cooperativa dos Agricultores Familiares de Poco Fundo e Regi to establish various social and productive programs.
Education:
Coopfam has implemented computer education classes for children and the community. They have also established a partnership with a private school to offer quality education to children of cooperative members.
Productive Investment:
With their Fair Trade premium, Coopfam has built a storage and processing facility for member use, and purchased tractors and other equipment. The Fair Trade premium enabled them to buy office technology and equipment to improve supply management and marketing. They have also purchased a car that is used to visit member farms and attend meetings. To improve member training sessions, they invested in a projector, laptop, digital camera and mobile telephones. The cooperative also hired an agronomist to support and give training to member families as well as to provide soil analysis and harvesting and handling training. Technical assistance for producers is fundamental in Coopfam’s promotion of sustainable, organic production.
Environment:
Coopfam has been able to continue its sustainable agriculture training program for co-op members.
Health:
The co-op has used Fair Trade revenue to broaden healthcare coverage for co-op members and their families. They have developed a partnership with a health service provider to offer basic coverage to members. Services include access to a general practitioner, women’s health services, vision and dental care. Coopfam also makes donations to the local public hospital and helps with special projects.
Home Improvements:
Coopfam has expanded the local electricity network to provide electrical access to everyone in the community. In an innovative effort, members of the cooperative manage a community farm with a house that serves as a senior citizen residence for elderly members. All profits generated from the community farm are invested back into the house to pay for food, medicine and maintenance expenses. |
Fair Trade Coffee 
