Our Producer Partners

Peru

Peruvian producers struggle to provide a viable alternative to the illegal economy associated with the growth and sale of Peru’s traditional crop of coca for cocaine production. This is especially challenging as coca fetches five times the dollar value of cocoa. Fair Trade premiums are truly providing long-term opportunities for producers, their families and communities.

CACVRA
Choosing Ethical Crops
La Siembra visited CACVRA or the Agrarian Coffee Cooperative – Valle Rio Apurimac in Peru in the Fall of 2005.  We were greeted by representatives of the 217 small landowners who comprise the organic growers of cocoa at CACVRA. They are located approximately ten hours from Ayacucho in the higher parts of the Peruvian tropical zone, centrally located in the jungle of the Apurimac Valley.

Our co-op was greatly impressed with this co-operative and the commitment of its members to produce a high quality export cocoa crop. The ten-hour drive along what can only be described as both breathtakingly beautiful and terrifying is one that we hope to take some of you on one day.

Visit CACVRA’s website (www.cacvra.com) to see a video of the region and their crops.