Cacao De Aroma
This loan is fully funded!
100% funded
A loan of $40,000 helped to buy cacao from 800 rural farming families at higher prices and give them access to premium specialty markets.
Tocache, Peru
Agriculture
Cacao De Aroma's story
Problem
Rural Peruvian farmers are poor and disconnected from global markets. Local cacao buyers take advantage and buy cacao at prices much lower than market price. This is especially true of the Tocache region that because of the geography, lack access to markets that will provide a fair price for their cacao.
Solution
Rather than acting as individuals, farmers are best served by joining a Coop that has financing and participates in a differentiated and regulated market. This allows farmers to get prices higher than their alternative. With support from Peru’s National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs
DEVIDA, Cooperativa Agraria Central de Cacao de Aroma (Cacao de Aroma) focuses on processes that result in uniform post-harvest fermentation. This allows Cacao de Aroma to sell its distinct cacao in specialty, Organic and Fair Trade markets.
Impact
Since 2014, Cacao de Aroma has managed to gather over 800 member families to sell their cacao to the coop. The first batches sold as Cacao de Aroma have allowed rural farmers to increase their income approximately 30% by the achieved price difference.
Use of the Loan
The loan will be used so that Cacao de Aroma can purchase more cacao from small producers. Currently sales are limited primarily by lack of financing. Cacao de Aroma is constrained because it does not have the capital to buy as much cacao as it is able to sell.