Go all the way back to the beginning of coffee’s fair trade coffee movement and you will find Promotora de Desarrollo Cooperativo de Las Segovias (PRODECOOP). Established in 1992, PRODECOOP now has a history of more than 30 years as a model cooperative in the coffee supply chain. PRODECOOP is an umbrella organization by design, meaning its primary purpose is to cover nearly 40 community based cooperatives operating in the department of Esteli, Madriz, and Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua. PRODECOOP focuses on creating access to credit for producers and investing in social programs on a larger and more impactful scale using the collective resources generated from the sale of coffee. Environmental training programs, healthcare initiatives, life insurance, and educational opportunities are just some of the ways PRODECOOP strives to support community based cooperatives and improve the quality of life for coffee producers and their families. also operates a centrally located dry mill facility and cupping lab where coffee is received, processed and selected for export. Preparing coffee for export is a vital resource for local cooperatives, which ensures traceability and quality control throughout the post harvest process. This particular lot comes from a cooperative called San Antonio, which has 81 members who cultivate coffee throughout the municipality of San Lucas. Each member cultivates, harvests and processes their coffee using their own micro-mills where they sort cherry before depulping, fermenting, and drying the coffee. Dried parchment is then delivered to PRODECOOP and prepared for export. The consistent quality year after year is attributable in part to PRODECOOP and in part to the small cooperative, which provides tailored grassroots organization and commitment for the communities where they operate.
