Description
The Asociación de Productores Cafetaleros Solidarios de San Ignacio (APROCASSI) was formed in 2000, originally as an effort to protest the mining companies who were flocking to the area to harvest precious metals. Set on protecting their land, a small group of farmers banded together and formed an association which they named APROCASSI. Two decades later, with great determination and organization, APROCASSI has continued to overcome adversities while improving quality and building membership at the same time. Today, the association has 2 principal receiving stations both in Cajamarca, with their original office in San Ignacio and their newer facility in Jaén. They have 35 bases in total, each with 15-18 members.
APROCASSI is focused on keeping youth in coffee, as well as women’s income diversification. Many of the chief staff are under 35 years of age including the general manager Abdias, their logistics manager Larisa, and their internal cupping team. At the field level, APROCASSI has initiated a group where young coffee producers receive agricultural training. In 2018, the international NGO Rikolto worked closely with young producers of APROCASSI to teach them material from the CQI Level 2 processing course. They also held many cuppings in the field, so that producers could taste how fermentation and processing affect cup quality. Women producers are encouraged to diversify their income through two projects: the first is a coffee shop located in San Ignacio called Saja, where the APROCASSI women’s group sells and prepares their roasted coffee. Additionally, the cooperative is educating the women on apiculture and providing materials so they can produce their own certified organic honey.
