The Federation of Exporting Coffee Producers (FECAFEB) was founded in 1991 as a national organization to defend the rights and needs of small-scale coffee farmers. FECAFEB has taken huge steps forward and seems to be right in stride with the new Bolivian political reality in support of Indigenous voice and rights. FECAFEB is currently comprised of 30 coffee producer organizations, representing some 8,700 families.ople,

In May, 2006, we traveled over 1000 km throughout the coffee growing regions (the Yungas) to visit with producers and communities of FECAFEB. On this trip we contracted our first ever direct purchase of Bolivian coffee from a producer community named AIPEP (Associacion Integral de Productores Ecologicos de Pumiri). AIPEP has been certified organic by IMO Control since 2002, but to date has not been able to export directly, nor be adequately compensated for their organic investment. We are the first buyers to ever offer AIPEP a direct trade relationship.

AIPEP currently has 32 founding members and 22 recently enlisted. The founding members have worked hard to construct impressive internal systems for excellent organic production and quality control, as well as solid mechanisms for assuring participation and administrative oversite by the members.

On this trip we also formualted a plan to return in October and hold the countries first ever Fair Trade coffee event....the Bolivian Cup of Fair Trade. Conscious Coffees in conjunction with Cooperative Coffees, FECAFEB, Cathlic Relief Services, Transfair Canada, and BOCAFE (Association of Bolivian Cuppers of Coffee), organised and executed an incredibly successful, national coffee event that empowered countless small-scale farmers, strengthened community cooperatives, and aims to further increase the quality standards from Fair Trade harvests.