AMUCC Organic Women's Group
Popayan, Cauca, Colombia

Why this Project is so Important?

Supporting the efforts and future of women organic coffee farmers - a unique subset in our wonderful world of coffee.

To them!

To receive technical assistance for best practices for growing excellent quality organic coffee.

To us!

To be able to support and increase organic growing in an origin where there is strong demand but limited supply.

To you!

To support and encourage the incredible efforts of these and future organic women coffee farmers in the multi-ethnic region of Cauca, Colombia.
What is the Project?
AMUCC is located in the department named after the Cauca River, which rises in the Colombian Massif and begins its run from south to north. Cauca is a multi-ethnic region. Some coffee growers are indigenous Mestizos, descendants of the original inhabitants and Spanish and Afro-Colombia immigrants who have preserved their social structures and traditions. 15% of AMUCC are indigenous people and 100% are women.

The program provides a premium to convert conventional women coffee growers to transition to organic. During the conversion process of 3 years, a grower can lose up to 50% of their income per year. The premium helps bridge this gap until certification.

 

The group is currently working on providing more access to a revolving fund to allow their members access to capital to improve their farming infrastucture including equipment and labor.

The Details:

Cauca

Quality

The coffee is grown at an altitude of 1,750 meters above sea level in volcanic soil with a high concentration of sulfur and high levels of organic matter.
Cauca

Strict Controls

Most of the plantations use some percentage of shade from 33 different tree species. The average size of an AMUCC farm is 1.1 hectare of land offering fully washed and sundried varietals of Castillo (85%) and Caturra (15%).
Cauca

Ownership

The group is proudly 100% women coffee growers supporting their families and integrating their husbands into the farm practice. The women are the owners of the land and coffee tendering process.
Cauca

Working Capital

Access for women to capital was limited or non-existent in the past, however this group has access to a revolving fund which help producers gain access to working capital to improve their farming infrastructure.

The results are stunning:

A few years back, the group was able to export a container of 275 bags of coffee. This year, they will produce close to 900 bags of coffee.
  • Improved coffee quality: Arrival cup scores consistently reach 83-85 points on the SCAA scale.
  • Some of the highest yields for organic coffee in all of Colombia
  • The premium has helped to convert more members to the group and thus increased their production.
  • Due to the group's tight controls, continued education and strong management, quality has not suffered as production increased.
  • Some of the group's members have tendered microlots and received strong premiums for their high scoring coffee.
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