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A Trip to CECOVASA Co-operative in Peru |
by Phyllis Robinson
"Fair trade is the only hope we have to keep our families going."
"It means so much to have someone standing here in front of us - it gives us encouragement to continue improving the quality of our coffee."
"We've never seen a client here before... I feel so happy now that I know where our coffee is going."
-Reyna Isabel Mamaniluque, Inambari Cooperative
In late July 2003, I had a unique opportunity to visit one of our trading partners in southern Peru. CECOVASA (The Organization of Agrarian Coffee Cooperatives of the Sandia Valleys), works with eight coffee co-operatives that are comprised of mostly Quechuan and Aymara indigenous peoples near the Bahuaja Sonene National Park and the Tambopata-Candamo Nature Reserve. These communities are very remote, 10 to 15 hours by truck from Juliaca, the nearest city. They are far enough away from the beaten path that the residents do not see many tourists. In fact, it was only the second time members of these co-operatives had received a visit from a coffee importer. (The first visit was also from Equal Exchange one year ago.)
 During my stay I had many meetings and visited dozens of coffee farms, but the most unique part of this trip was that the visits to the coffee cooperatives turned into a 3-day reception in which the farmers bestowed upon me an enormous amount of appreciation and gratitude that they feel towards Equal Exchange for buying their coffee and for paying them a fair price. The overwhelming message I took away from this trip was how much Fair Trade had made a difference to these farmers, how appreciative they are of Equal Exchange, and how proud they are of their vibrant and rich cultures.
THE ROAD TO SANDIA:
Juliaca is two hours by plane from Lima where CECOVASA has its commercializing office. CECOVASA's regional office, dry mill, cupping lab, and warehouse are all in Juliaca, a dusty city in the Altiplano (high planes) of southern Peru, near Lake Titicaca and the Bolivian border. To get from Juliaca to CECOVASA's zone of production necessitates an 8-hour drive on a very narrow, poorly maintained road that zigzags up the Andean mountain range. We climbed to 5000 meters before going back down to the "valleys" where the coffee is grown at around 1000 - 1500 meters. With an abyss on one or both sides, the unpaved, rutted road gets especially difficult to navigate during the rain. Equally precarious is trying to maneuver past buses and trucks full of coffee or fruit coming from the other direction. Fortunately for future visitors to the co-ops, the UN is building an airstrip in the Valley which will make future travel to the coops considerably easier and faster (as well as facilitating the U.S.- war against coca production).
 CECOVASA's co-operatives are another long drive of two – six hours from the town of Sandia where we spent the night. While it was the dry season in much of where we were in Peru, the valleys where CECOVASA's co-operatives are located, are lush, green, jungles high in the mountains. We continually drove across rivers, past numerous waterfalls and cascades. Birds and butterflies abound. It's absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. According to Fernando García, an extension worker contracted by the U.N., Peru is home to 240 species of butterflies – and many of them can be found in this area so close to the two nature reserves that are internationally-recognized for their significant diversity and ecological importance.
A WARM AND GENEROUS WELCOME:
 Accompanied by Miguel Paz, Commercialization Manager for CECOVASA, I visited two of the primary valleys where CECOVASA's co-ops are located and visited or met members of about six of their eight coops. Everywhere we went, we were received with elaborate fanfare. At each new co-op, our truck was greeted by several dozen members of the co-ops who arrived with huge banners saying "Welcome Señora Robinson, Welcome Equal Exchange" or with arches made of huge palm fronds, decorated with flowers and signs welcoming and thanking Equal Exchange. In the meeting rooms, the walls and blackboards were all hung with streamers and ribbons and signs saying: Señora Robinson y Equal Exchange, CECOVASA les quiero (CECOVASA loves you). The farmers lit fireworks as we approached. Then we'd get out of the truck and people would line up to shake our hands, as they reached into their pockets and dumped confetti and flower petals all over us. I was covered with garlands of flowers, and kissed and hugged, until I was pleading with them to stop!
 Immediately, I was taken to visit their organic coffee plots. We had to cross a rushing river by walking across one of those swinging rope bridges. Everywhere I saw careful attention being paid to organic practices – the coffee was grown in neat rows under fruit trees, "honey waters" were channeled into the proper locations, beans were dried under the sun on raised platforms with plastic available to cover them when it rains, and the coffee pulp was reused for compost. Farmers showed me around their plots with a sense of pride for the many improvements they've made.
At each co-op, we would have a meeting and numerous speeches. At some co-ops, our meetings were translated into Quechua and Aymara. A few of the women in several coops broke down in tears expressing gratitude for the visit and our business. After each meeting, the children were brought out to perform a series of traditional indigenous dances for us.
THE MAYOR'S DECREE:
 At the end of the first day, we were invited to the town hall, where the Mayor typed up a decree making me an "illustrious guest" of the town (Resolution of the Town Hall N. 044-2003-MDAI.-M. The Mayor of the city of Alto Inambari, Province of Sandia in the Puno Region . Considers that the Institution Equal Exchange, with its representative Señora Felicia Robinson, by way of CECOVASA has made an important visit to this coffee-growing region of Inambari. For this reason, the Municipality, in conformance with the articles of the of the law N. 27972, resolves to 1) Thank the Señora Felicia Robinson, representative of the business Equal Exchange, for its interest in the Quality Coffee of the valley of Alto Inambari, Province of Sandia and the Puno Region. 2) In recognition and thanks, the Municipality of Alto Inambari, declares: la Señora Robinson, an illustrious guest, for her great visit.)
And, thinking I could never experience a welcome as warm and generous as we had received on the first day, I was unprepared for the second day...
MORE COFFEE AND MORE FESTIVITIES:
 We visited a second valley, Putina Punco. When we arrived, it was more fireworks, banners, confetti and flower petals. Then we all walked to the river. This time, there was no bridge to cross. Instead, you had to sit on a piece of wood hanging from cables and someone on the other side of the river, pulled you across! They had a team of people waiting to take pictures of me as I crossed over the river! I asked if that was how they had to get the coffee across, but fortunately for them, there's some other sturdier bridge a distance away. It was pouring rain and as we approached the coffee plots, there were maybe 75 people waiting in the rain for our visit. The most amazing thing was that they had actually built a small cabaña (made of bamboo and a thatched roof and decorated with all the citrus fruits they grow) to shelter Miguel and myself. Four children were dressed in "ancient indigenous" costumes with their faces painted and  decorated in bead and shell necklaces and bracelets. After the numerous speeches and questions about organic coffee and fair trade, etc. the children recited poetry for us and then took off their necklaces and bracelets and covered me with them! Again, more trips around the coffee plots as they showed me down to every last detail how they are improving quality.
We then arrived in the next coop where our visit also coincided with a celebration of CECOVASA's 33rd anniversary celebration. More banners all over the town welcoming Equal Exchange. This time the speeches were followed by about three hours of traditional folkloric dance performances, this time by adults. Miguel told me that the region is famous for having over 300 native dances, and we must have seen a good part of them. Each one had new costumes, and masks of animals, jokers, etc. The performers also had a good time pulling me and Miguel into the center and making us dance as well.
The following day, the local radio station appeared and asked for an interview. The President of CECOVASA and I were each interviewed and then we got in the truck and began the long, 12-hour ride back to Juliaca through the pouring rain.
THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP:
Miguel and the directive boards of CECOVASA were happy to introduce their members to a coffee buyer. Many of these farmers have never tasted a cup of their own coffee, have never seen coffee sold in packages, and have no idea what happens to their coffee once it leaves their plots. Everywhere we went, Miguel made a point of explaining to the members how many containers of coffee they sold last year, how much was organic, how much was fair trade, and how much money they made. He was careful to explain the details in a clear, accessible and respectful manner. He also emphasized how important a client we were. Of last year's 12 containers to the fair trade market, Equal Exchange bought six. He also emphasized that Equal Exchange is unique among many coffee importers, because like them, we too are a cooperative and believe strongly in those ideals and principles.
For my part, I talked about how much we at Equal Exchange, as well as all those who buy the coffee from us, appreciate what the farmers are doing to improve the quality. I showed them how we package their coffee, and showed them photos of their coffee in supermarket bins, and of people drinking cups of coffee in cafes. Their faces were transfixed as I explained our Interfaith Department: how every Sunday, after mass, in churches across the United States, people drink their coffee, learn about who the farmers are and what their lives are like, what challenges they face, and what successes they've had.
I can't remember ever coming back from a trip more convinced of the importance Fair Trade coffee can have in the actual lives of a coffee farmer. I hope all of you will have a chance to visit one of our trading partners to see for yourselves the difference we can all make.
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Farmer Partners 
