PRODECOOP, Nicaragua

Promotora De Desarollo Co-operativo De Las Segovias (PRODECOOP), Nicaragua

Established in 1993, and situated in the in the Segovia region of northern Nicaragua; PRODECOOP represents 40 cooperatives and 2,318 individual families and produces 90 containers of coffee every year. The cooperative was established to provide assistance to its members' families in sustainable production and the marketing of their coffee.

What does Fair Trade mean to PRODECOOP?

"Things have changed for us because before the middleman did not hear us. If I needed an advance he would say you must mortgage this and this, and the price he gave me for the coffee was very cheap so I did not earn anything. But now we have a secure market and the co-op can keep us in work".

- Noel Mercado, PRODECOOP

As well as providing higher income directly to coffee farmers, PRODECOOP supports many social and quality control programs, including building and repair members' homes, ever-improving coffee production facilities, and an educational support program which includes scholarships and free school materials for students. There is a strong emphasis on producing coffee of the highest quality. In 2004, co-op members took the three top places in the Nicaraguan 'Cup of Excellence' competition.