Asprocafe Ingruma, Colombia
|
|
The women's program has been very interesting and valuable for helping us to learn new things and to take advantage of natural resources that are around us instead of exploit them. We want to let people know that this program has brought many benefits and has helped very much in our daily lives. Lastly, we would not want these programs to come to an end and next year we hope that we would have the opportunity to share new things and hope Fair Trade can help.
--- Dignacela Guevara Founded in 1991, the Ingrumá cooperative is located in the western highlands of the state of Caldas, Colombia. All of Ingrumá’s producers live in four protected indigenous zones. Eighty percent of cooperative members are from the indigenous Embera-Chami ethnic group, and nearly 40 percent of Ingrumá’s farmers are women.
Ingrumá is notable for its sophisticated level of organization, its transparency and its adherence to democratic principles. The cooperative became Fair Trade Certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) in 1992, and has been exporting coffee to the U.S. since 1999.
The Fair Trade premium has enabled Cooperativa de Caficultores de Alto de Occidente de Caldas to establish various social and productive programs.
Education:
Ingrumá awards 50 annual scholarships to cooperative members and their children. The cooperative also provides free school lunches for children in the community.
Productive Investment:
The cooperative has purchased new de-pulping machines and fermentation tanks and has installed drying patios for nearly all of its members. Cooperative funds have allowed members to update an old water supply system, improve more than 37 miles of roads, construct a bridge and a community meeting center and repair members' homes.
Environment:
Ingrumá sponsors monthly seminars for members on the organic production process. The cooperative is also building a plant in which to convert organic waste into compost. Farmers receive supplies and training for products that can be raised in conjunction with coffee, such as fruit trees, corn, beans, fish and livestock.
Health:
The co-op administers a health care plan that covers 14,000 people. |
Fair Trade Coffee 
