Emiliana Aguilar & Gilberto Rodríguez – ACOPAGRO, Peru.Antonio Reyes – CONACADO, Dominican Republic. “We have been Fairtrade certified for many years now, and we take care of the environment because we understand that every day we must get on track so that everything is organic. Chemicals are harmful to health.”Bethy Juzga Gargat – ACAOPAGRO, Peru. “We are an organization of small cocoa producers of special qualities, with more than 2000 members. Our main activity is the promotion of cocoa cultivation, from its planting, maintenance, harvest, and export of organic cocoa beans. They give us a Premium that is distributed in the cooperative for infrastructure, education, technical assistance provided by the cooperative’s technicians. For this reason, we thank Fairtrade and the technicians who are paid by the cooperative that provides us with its services and prepares us for the farm.”Marlon Nalvarte & Alfredo Cordori – EL QUINACHO, Peru. “I started in 2010 as a beginner, but the third year I became an organic member. The co-operative educates us so that we can work organically and access Fairtrade, have support in machines, cultivators, fertilizers, technical assistance, in health, among many others. In the technical assistance they educate us on how to carry out the process of fertilization, cultivation, pruning and so on. Year after year we farmers improve the quality of organic cocoa.”Sarita Urbano & William Urbano – EL QUINACHO, Peru. “Fairtrade through the co-operative helps me with the course materials, to be able to attend and carry out my practices.”Arelys Paulino. “At COOPROAGRO, we are proud to produce the best Dominican Cocoa. In our cooperative, quality is part of the culture and work philosophy. The entire process from the farm to the shipment is rigorously monitored by our team, meaning that our clients will always receive the quality that has been agreed upon. We were victims of the big exporters, but now, thanks to God and COOPROAGRO, we have access to a good price through Fair Trade.”Bonifacio Bravo. The “Cooperativa Agraria Cafetalera Pangoa” was founded on October 2, 1977 on the initiative of 50 coffee producing partners, with the aim of improving the price of their products; since then, it has fulfilled an adequate cooperative and solidary work in face of the collective need of its members and the community in general. The main activity is the collection and commercialization of organic, conventional and Fairtrade certified cocoa from its producers, with strict care that assures the quality of the product and excellent customer service. At present, it is a solid organization, with national and international recognition, thanks to the joint effort of its workers and the efficient work carried out by the team of professionals, technicians and administrative staff.Michelle Morocho – UNOCACE, Ecuador. UNOCACE is currently made up of 20 associations that bring together 1,900 small cocoa producers from 8 provinces. “We as producers have had a very positive change because by being part of an association and thanks to the Premiums we get with this certification, we have had noticeable changes in terms of infrastructure, the acquisition of new machinery for the association, such as fermentation crates, dryers, and canopies.”Loyel Haro. Cacao Tocache in Peru was originally founded in 1987 as a central committee. The organization obtained status as a legal cooperative in 1990, thanks to the efforts of small-scale cocoa farmers. Today it has 440 members, 67% of which are women. “Thanks to the Fairtrade Premium, we are improving and going for more, because we want you to continue supporting us. The social issue seems important to me because it reaches the members directly through projects, infrastructures, improving the social quality of the members with the cooperative and the cooperative with the theme of Fairtrade.”Karina Avilés – UNOCACE, Ecuador. “I would like to tell you that buying Fairtrade products is a very good help because everything that comes to us small producers is welcome.”Composition with cocoa powder and beans on color backgroundHand holding aromatic cocoa beans, closeup
