USD 14.3 million invested by cooperatives of coffee farmers in social programs

Social, environmental and economic sustainability are the fundamental pillars of Buencafé’s reason for being. That’s why its policy is to generate value for Colombian coffee growers of colombia. In this sense, our commitment goes beyond satisfying each of our customers: continuous improvement of our processes and ensuring coffee growers’ general well-being is essential.

For this reason, it is very important for Buencafé to highlight, according to fedeciondecafeteros.org, that in 2017 the country’s 33 cooperatives of coffee farmers allocated over 42.1 billion pesos (USD 14.3 million) to social investment in their associates.

These cooperatives, the partners of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), are responsible for applying the purchase guarantee, the public good most valued by coffee growers because it allows them to sell their coffee at the best possible base price. Cooperatives are the FNC’s great allies: ensuring a better income for coffee growers of colombia directly benefits their quality of life, in line with Buencafé’s policy.

“This confirms the key role that cooperatives play in the great purpose of the coffee institutions to improve coffee growers of colombia. profitability, along with producers’ commitment to quality and the consequent recognition of premiums,” the FNC CEO, Roberto Vélez, said.

Social investment breakdown:

• Of the COP 42.1 billion of social investment, almost COP 1.9 billion were allocated to supporting formal education (Icetex and others).
• COP 3.6 billion was invested in non-formal education.
• COP 1.4 billion went to voluntary contributions to BEPS retirement schemes (seven cooperatives with 3,736 coffee growers benefited).
• COP 10.5 billion allocated to other social investment programs (solidarity [aids and insurance], health, cooperative return, and fertilizer discount).
• Allocation of COP 24.9 billion to investment in social, production and labor components of the sustainability premium of the FLO Fair Trade standard is noteworthy.

With the purchase of 354 million kg of dry parchment coffee (dpc) for about 2.6 trillion pesos (USD 881 million), in 2017 the country’s 33 cooperatives of coffee farmers on average paid COP 913,164 for the coffee load (125 kg), contributing to increase producers’ profitability by 11.6% compared to the average base price of COP 818,148 per load.

Of these purchases, differentiated coffee accounted for 207.9 million kg, i.e. 58.7% (mostly with FLO certification [21% of all differentiated coffee] and Nespresso [15%]), much in line with the commitment to production of specialty coffee to help growers climb the value chain.

Buencafé is also a supplier of products made with specialty raw materials in the category of sustainable coffee (involving certification processes). These raw materials are used to produce freeze-dried coffee with differentiated attributes, which buyers and consumers value a lot, understanding the need to preserve resources for future generations and ratifying our commitment to ensure Colombian coffee growers’ well-being and better quality of life.

Over COP 42.1 billion invested by cooperatives of coffee farmers in social programs. FNC, Colombia.  Retrieved from https://www.federaciondecafeteros.org/clientes/en/sala_de_prensa/detalle/cooperatives_of_coffee_farmers_invest_usd_14.3_million_in_social_programs_i/