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“Until the 80s, we did not have a road to San Ignacio,” Becken Bauer, President of the Administration Committee said. “Most of us had to walk a full day just to bring our coffee to Tamborapa [120 kilometres away through mountains and rough terrain]”.
“We now have more roads available, so we can travel faster and more easily.”
The Grinders Coffee and Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand partnership has enabled the Acropassi Cooperative de Servicios Multiples in Peru access to roads and infrastructure.
The Cooperative of 505 small scale farmers, of which 68 are women, takes a holistic approach to sustainability in their community. Built on a respect for the natural environment, the Cooperative has worked to reduce their use of synthetic fertilisers and has achieved organic certification for much of their coffee.
Fairtrade certified since 2001, Acropassi has been a long-standing partner with Fairtrade and Grinders Coffee Roasters, cultivating more than 1,500 hectares of high quality coffee plantations located between 1,100 and 1,800 metres above sea level. Getting to Acropassi requires a commitment to long windy and steep roads, that is reminiscent of a bygone time but the quality of the coffee, is second to none.
With the support of Grinders Coffee Roasters, the Cooperative has been able to build essential infrastructure, as well as run financial management programs and training, to support the successful and long-term growth of the community.
