Coffee

Dona Sofia, from Matagalpa, Nicaragua, is a resourceful hard-working woman. Several years ago when husband fell ill and was partially paralyzed it became necessary for her to look for a job. She was now going to be the sole wage earner in the family. She joined a coffee farming cooperative called La Chocolata, became the only female member at that time and was elected president soon thereafter.

Dona Sofia’s family was in debt as a result of medical expenses and La Chocolata, with the help of CLUSA (Asociacion Liga de Cooperativas), helped to establish a connection with a purchaser who would pay the growers $1.71 per pound, rather than the average of $.25 per pound. In just five years, with higher earnings as a result of improved production practices and marketing, Sofia was able to cancel her debt, double her land ownership, purchase a pick-up truck, send and keep her four children in school and sustain her family with her income. This was made possible through her hard work in addition to the assistance that La Chocolata received from CLUSA.

CLUSA is a Nicaraguan NGO that works with struggling farmers to help them organize themselves to form cooperatives. These farmers have vision, work hard and are disciplined; and CLUSA helps them to become more organized, increase production, improve business practices and establish relationships with purchasers that pay them a fair wage. CLUSA has empowered thousands of farmers and their families and continues to help keep these farmers stay on their land, despite the various economic crises that continue to force many farmers out of their traditional livelihoods. These farmers are improving their products and maintaining their employment, thanks to CLUSA and Fair Trade.

These farmers grow a variety of crops including fair trade, organic, and shade-grown coffee. CLUSA-Nicaragua coffee farmers have won the prestigious "Cup of Excellence" Award in past years.

Esperanza en Accion began working with CLUSA in July of 2002. We promote their coffee and encourage people from the "First World" to support fair trade farmers throughout the world. Many take this commitment very seriously and only serve fair trade coffee in their churches, workplaces and homes. We have also promoted the sale of thousands of pounds of CLUSA’s coffee to people visiting Nicaragua.

You can order CLUSA’s coffee from Lakewinds Natural Foods in Minnesota by contacting Kristine Nelson at KrisN@lakewinds.com or (952) 742-1217 or (952) 473-0292.

Other Nicaraguan Fair Trade Certified coffee is available at www.cafecampesino.com and at Equal Exchange where you can buy Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate and more. Also check out the Equal Exchange Interfaith Coffee Program.