About COOMCAFE R. L.

The Multisectoral Cooperative “Café de Alturas” RL, known by the acronym COOMCAFE RL, is an organization of small producers, domiciled in the Municipality of San Rafael del Norte, Department of Jinotega, Nicaragua, conceived as a private, autonomous organization , first grade, nonprofit, limited liability, indefinite duration, variable capital and unlimited number of associates

Coffee is an important economic activity in the municipality of San Rafael del Norte, in Jinotega, Department where the largest areas are located and the largest volumes of the country are produced, representing 65% of national production, according to the website from SOPPEXCCA (www.soppexcca.org).e

Mission

Producir y Comercializar Café de Alta Calidad, con Honradez, Transparencia, Equidad e Inspirados en dar un Alto Valor al Cliente y Crecer como Empresa Cooperativa de Forma Rentable y Sostenible, en Armonía con el Medio Ambiente y Conservando los Recursos Naturales.

Vision

Produce and Market High Quality Coffee, with Honesty, Transparency, Equity and Inspired to give High Value to the Client and Grow as a Cooperative Company in a Profitable and Sustainable Way, in Harmony with the Environment and Conserving Natural Resources.

Objective

Add customers, creating for them products that meet their expectations.

Values

• Honesty
• Transparency
• Equity
• Equality
• Social Commitment
• Commitment to Quality
• Commitment to Conservation
enviroment

Due to its optimal conditions, San Rafael del Norte has a production potential of at least 63,000 quintals of annual high-quality coffee exports. As COOMCAFE and due to financial limitations, the plantations experience a marked precariousness, varying yields from 3.18 to 38.14 qq-gold of export per apple annually, presenting a productive average of 13 Quintales Gold of Export per Apple. Similarly, due to financial constraints and access to markets, producers are forced to sell their coffee in wet or damp parchment to intermediaries at prices well below reality, taking into account international market prices.

This situation was the reason that at the end of 2006, 77 producers from 16 communities in the municipality organized their own cooperative, called COOMCAFE R.L and formed in part with USAID support through PCI Nicaragua. It initiated credit operations and collection of a small part of the production to its associates (618 quintals gold) to commercialize them in the national market and try to reduce the chain of intermediation that this product undergoes through the internal sale. This was strengthened organizationally, economically and with some equipment thanks to the support of Project Concern International, an NGO based in San Diego, California and thanks to the support of the Government and People of the United States.

Overview of Jinotega, Nicaragua

History

COOMCAFE R.L. It was founded in 2006 by 77 producers, having been granted its legal status on a multisectoral basis on November 8, 2006. In 4 years, as of December 2010, it grew to 257 members, formally certified by the Institute for Cooperative Development (INFOCOOP). By the end of 2012 this number dropped to 198 associates when making a selection of producers, who had to have an excellent cooperative awareness and that in addition to their rights comply with all their obligations governed by the statutes.

Villager

This progress continued to be strengthened over the years, based on the creation of value chains (strategic alliances) with exporting companies and with dry beneficiary and export services such as EXPASA through which the cooperative sent its coffee in 2014, to buyers in the international market such as Starbucks, negotiating the beneficiary and export service and having identified new opportunities to increase their sales. Six years ago, the cooperative with the support of the CEI obtained its own export license (in March 2013 the first export to MITSUI Japan was made) in addition to having obtained Fair Trade certification before FLO Cert (in June of this year) . In 2014, a part of its associates was certified with the Café Practices certification to market the quantity of 8 containers (3,300 QQ Gold) sold to EXPASA-Starbucks.

Reference photo to Starbucks Coomcafe client

In 2015, contracts were obtained for 1,969 Export Gold Quintales with this same buyer plus a lot of 418.32 Gold Quintales that were exported directly as a Cooperative to the Italian COIND Company. By 2019, the commercialization and export of coffee to Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, the United States and Canada has been strengthened, currently having 6 importers and roasters in these countries plus a national buyer and the collection of 5,850 quintals of export gold ( 14 containers). With regard to financing, this important need has been consolidated with the Rabobank Foundation, receiving the last cycle up to $ 425,000.00 of qualification for maintenance of coffee plantations and working capital, intending to increase this year to 700,000.00 dollars for the 2019-2020 cycle with The same Foundation. On the other hand, the management and execution of productive and strengthening projects has increased, currently executing 5 with the NICADAPTA MEFCCA (Café project), HEIFER (Beyond Coffee), RVO (PROMESSA CAFCA), CBI (Export Strengthening of Coffee to the European Union) and PROGRESS FOUNDATION, which are contributing greatly to the productive, organizational, administrative and commercial development of our organization, providing both producers and the administration of activities that will strengthen all processes since the renewal of coffee, agricultural equipment, diversification and processing plants and added value.