Meeting the producers we support in Peru

On Saturday 18th April, I travelled to Peru with Amanda Simmons, Shared Interest Head of Human Resources. We spent the following day sightseeing with Paul Sablich, Head of Lending, visiting the serene beaches of Miraflores and Barranco. On Monday, we flew from Lima to Tarrapoto, northern Peru, with Paul and our South America Lending Team, including Bruno Biaggi Vidal, Lending Manager, alongside Santiago Ramos and Elizabeth Mesias Tepia, our Customer Representatives in the region.

After another full day of travel, we rested overnight in Tarrapoto before starting our week of visits. Tarrapoto is the largest city in the San Martín region, known for its Amazonian cloud forest, abundant palm trees and jungle waterfalls.

COOPBAM 

On Tuesday 21st April, we met with COOPBAM; a co-operative of coffee producers supporting producers across San Martín and the Amazonas. We had the privilege of meeting with some of the co-operative's cocoa farmers, who hail from the indigenous Awajún communities along the Amazon-Andes divide.

We learned about COOPBAM's steadfast commitment to sustainability and their growth in markets across the USA and Europe. We met key individuals responsible for the production of the two main coffee brands, Café 87 and Café Quinde. 

Café 87 pays tribute to a key moment for the conservation of their protected natural area: July 23, 1987, the date on which the headquarters of the Alto Mayo Protected Forest was created. We also met women farmers who have been developing alternative products to support their families, such as handicrafts and coffee-based liqueur. We were presented with some special gifts to mark our visit.  

Amanda and I were surprised at how challenging it can be to produce coffee, and the resilience needed to survive. 

Cooperativa Valle Grande

Later, we travelled to the district of Soritor, a short drive north west of Tarapoto. Here, we met with Cooperative Valle Grande and learned about their long tradition of producing high-quality coffee, integrating ancestral knowledge with sustainable practices and processes. 

We learned about the co-operative's successes and challenges in producing a consistent and competitive product in the international market. Next, we took part in a coffee cupping demonstration and learned more about the goals of this process, which involve evaluating quality and consistency, and profiling characteristics such as sweetness, acidity, body flavour and aftertaste. 

We continued the visit with a tour of the factory, where coffee beans were being processed, before a final meeting to discuss interest rates, co-operative legal status tax implications and potential future financing needs. A long, but enjoyable day. 

Asociación San Martín

On Wednesday 22nd April, we met with with Asociación San Martín, an Organic and Fairtrade coffee producer working with over 600 farmers. We have supported Asociación San Martín since 2022. We learned about their challenges with growth and seeking new international buyers and were impressed by their sustainable practices. 

We were invited to enjoy some breakfast and meet some of the farmers, learning first-hand about the benefits of joining the co-operative and the positive impact for their families and communities.  

Allima Cocoa 

After this, we travelled by car to Chazuta, one of 14 dsitricts in San Martín. Following a four-and-a-half hour journey, we arrived at the site of Allima Cocoa, a co-operative we have worked with since 2017.

Here, farmers showed us how they break into cocoa pods, as well as the seven-day fermentation process and how they have developed a drying area to ensure the highest quality.

They also discussed the Mocambo pod, which is a cousin of the cocoa tree, and how they were using these highly nutritious nuts to create new products, including ice creams for local sales and nut-like snacks which are popular with the Canadian market.

Allima have experienced a difficult few years, but presented a plan for the future and are working closely with Socodevi to help bring further stability. Socodevi  is a network of co-operatives in Canada which aim to share technical experience and knowledge with partner organisations in countries with vulnerable populations, contributing to their sustainable development by strengthening association and co-operative schemes.

Candela

On Thursday, we spent another day travelling, with internal flights from Tarapoto back to Lima and then Lima to Puerto Maldonado, a city in southeastern Peru, acting as the primary gateway to the southern Amazon rainforest and the capital of the Madre de Dios region. 

Whilst in Lima airport waiting for our connecting flight, we met with Lupe, General Manager of Candela. Candela collect and produce Brazil nuts, and we are proud to have supported them since 1999, as one of our oldest producer customers.   

Although our visit to Candela's headquarters was the following day, due to other commitments, Lupe would not be present in Puerto Maldonado. During our conversation with Lupe, we learned about Candela’s history, succession plans and their commitment to sustainability; in particular, the conservation of eco-systems and biodiversity. 

As we commenced our final day, we drove two hours from our hotel into the rainforest and met with a Brazil nut farmer, who showed us how he collects the nuts and the regulations he has to comply with. The area he collects nuts from is protected and he requires a license - and can only collect nuts from trees that are registered. 

Following our visit to the farm, we drove back to Puerto Maldonado for lunch before visiting Candela's processing plant.  Here, we saw the many steps workers take to sort, deshell and ensure the highest quality of Brazil nuts are boxed for distribution. We also visited the ‘Candela nursery’ where they grow new Brazil nuts tree, in their commitment against deforestation. 

We want to say a big thank you to Paul, Bruno, Santiago and Elizabeth, because they showed real kindness and professionalism in organising the trip originally, and making the trip such a success whilst we were there

We were really lucky to have this trip and we know it is really going to help us in our jobs in the coming months and years. We are also very grateful to the organisations that hosted us. Thank you.