Mexico and Central America Archives

Better Coffee, Better Livelihoods: Lessons from Our Second Joint Workshop with Intelligentsia

Posted by Lula Perez | January 28, 2020

"What coffee variety do you think has the lowest quality?” Intelligentsia Coffee’s Director of Sourcing and Shared Value Michael Sheridan asked this question to a room of farmers and business leaders in Honduras last month. “Lempira!” came the unanimous reply. Michael asked a follow-up question: “What is the variety you have planted most on your farms?” Again, the room called out in unison, “Lempira!”

Cómo la tecnología digital sistematiza la información para las empresas rurales

Posted by Kate Hyder | December 10, 2019

La versión original de este blog apareció en inglés en el sitio web del Pace Able Foundation. La cooperativa cafetalera CECAFE se encuentra en Lonya Grande, el cual es un pueblo ubicado en la región montañosa de la región Amazonas, Perú, a un par de horas en carro de la ciudad principal más cercana. Los socios de la cooperativa viven aún más afuera, por caminos serpenteantes próximos al Parque Nacional Cutervo.

In Tough Conditions, This Nicaraguan Cooperative Blossoms

Posted by Lula Perez | September 26, 2019

Wiston Vílchez had barely turned 24 when he took over as general manager of the fledgling Flor de Dalia coffee cooperative in 2014. At the time, the cooperative consisted of a handful of families who sold their coffee to local brokers at rock-bottom prices. The brokers then sold the coffee on the international market with a huge mark-up—pocketing all the profit for themselves.

Como Se Ve Nuestro Trabajo en Nicaragua Ahora Mismo

Posted by Will McAneny | February 28, 2019

Durante años, muchos nicaragüenses se han enojado con las políticas cada vez más represivas del presidente Daniel Ortega. El pasado abril, la aprobación de una ley de impuestos impopular llevó al país al límite.

What Our Work in Nicaragua Looks Like Right Now

Posted by Will McAneny | February 13, 2019

For years, many Nicaraguans have bristled under the increasingly repressive policies of President Daniel Ortega. Last April, the passage of an unpopular tax law tipped the country over the edge.

How These Mayan Farmers Are Modernizing a Two-Thousand-Year-Old Tradition

Posted by Lula Perez | October 8, 2018

For the Maya, bees and their honey have always been sacred. Bees are a symbol of fertility and abundance; kaab, the Mayan word for bee, can also be translated as “force,” “land,” or “world.” But for the Mayan producer-members of the EDUCE cooperative, honey isn’t just a part of their cultural heritage. It’s also their livelihood.

Five Things I Learned from Our Youth Workshops in Nicaragua

Posted by Will McAneny | May 16, 2018

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of traveling to the coffeelands of northern Nicaragua to see Root Capital’s advisory team in action.

Sweetening the Deal for Cocoa and Honey Producers: Root Capital’s New Partnership with the Trafigura Foundation and Puma Energy Foundation

Posted by Elise Garrity | April 19, 2018

Honey and chocolate are made to satisfy the sweet tooth, but these treats aren’t always a sweet deal for the smallholder farmers that produce them.

Unlocking Opportunity for Those Who Need It Most

Posted by Lula Perez | January 10, 2018

Two billion. That’s the number of people in rural communities who are struggling to survive on less than $2 per day. Many of them are farming to feed the rest of the world, yet they aren’t getting enough to eat. Many live hundreds of miles from accessible markets, without the roads to reach them. With few choices, they’re forced to sell their hard-earned crops at rock-bottom prices. But there’s a way out of this cycle of grinding poverty.

Organic Agriculture: How This Costa Rican Co-op is Growing a Better Future for Its Farmers

Posted by Will McAneny | November 20, 2017

In Walter Elizondo Naranjo’s office in San Antonio, Costa Rica, hangs a large banner with pictures of pineapple, bananas, and oranges. 100% orgánico, the banner proudly states. Looking at the banner, Walter grins broadly. “This is COOPEASSA.”