Asociación Unión de Cafetaleros Ecológicos

Supporting an organisation of small-scale coffee growers in Cajamarca

Peru

Fair trade

Trade in products that have been certified and carry a fair trade label. An example of this is a farmer’s cooperative that collectively sells its cocoa to a fair trade organization.

Green

Promotes and/or supports the protection of the environment. An example of this is an organic farming cooperative.

Unión de Cafetaleros Ecológicos (Unicafec), founded in 2001, is a small-scale coffee farmers' association based in San Ignacio, Cajamarca, Peru, which collects, processes and trades coffee beans produced by its 400 members. Unicafec has been an Oikocredit partner since 2018.

In its initial years the association was funded by the German development agency GIZ and the German-owned development bank KFW to implement environmental improvements and infrastructure upgrades on farms. Such assistance has enabled the association to successfully penetrate the US and European specialty coffee markets.

In 2003 and 2005 Unicafec obtained organic and fair-trade certification, respectively.