CECOCAFEN,the Coffee Cooperatives Central in the Northern Regions, is an umbrella organization promoting and selling quality coffees from nine cooperatives. The basis of their operation rests upon: producing a quality coffee, establishing programs for ecological practices, and offering equitable opportunities for integrated development of their members’ communities. During visits to the region, we consistently witness these three elements at work. More than 2000 families are members of CECOCAFEN.

CECOCAFEN’S Fair Trade coffee sales have grown steadily, and so have the numbers of children able to participate in CECOCAFEN’s high school, technical training, and university scholarship program. These young students are studying careers related to the life in the cooperatives. In exchange they provide a 100 hours of work to the organization and they help provide a service of adult education in the cooperative.

With fair trade premiums and development credits, CECOCAFEN was able to purchase the SolCafé processing plant, equipped with ample drying beds, a complete line of sorting machines and a fully equipped cupping laboratory.

CECOCAFEN continuously provides members with coffee prices well above the national average, scholarships for higher education, a rotating loan program that has helped more than 500 women establish small-scale businesses, and support for cultural and sports activities.