El café de CEPICAFE es un café de sabor elegante y equilibrado con una acidez noble y fina que desarrolla todo su aroma con un tueste tradicional de largo tiempo. – Hans-Jürgen Wozniak, Kaffeemanager, GEPA.
Type of coffee: Scrubbed Arabica
Variety: 95% typica, shade-grown
Harvest: May – November
Región: Northern Peru.
Altitude: 900 – 1,800 m above sea level
Coffee area: 6 575 ha.
Members: 3700
Production 2004: 50,000 qq
Percentage of national production: 5%
Organic Certifications:
FLO Internacional Biolatina
IMO CONTROL / Naturland; UTZ KAPEH
Contents
Marketing
CEPICAFE managed to introduce its green coffee in the main high-quality markets: organic, Fair Trade and gourmet in various European and Northern American countries. Most of the production of CEPICAFE’s members targets several international coffee markets.
Fair Trade labels appear on products to guarantee to the consumer that producers from developing countries have received a fair price for their products. All parts involved – producers, importers and providers – are monitored by FLO International (Fair Trade Labeling Organization) in order to respect the criteria imposed by the Fair Trade market.
We are aware that Fair Trade buyers provide us the opportunity to introduce our products in the international market and we know that this is a long term commercial relation. This, added to the pre-harvest financing, guarantees the sustainability of our organization under the following concept: “help for self help”.
This demanding market takes into account products coming from the organic agriculture without using synthetic agrochemicals.
The actors in the organic production, and more specifically organic farmers, are using work methods based on recycling of natural organic materials, crop rotation and the respect of the biological balance and the environment.
Exporting certified organic coffee is a special commitment for the members of our organizations all along the production system and benefit not only to the producers but also to the consumers within this market. Each time, more small-scale producers enter the organic certification program, which means that they dedicate themselves with more efforts to produce a coffee which respects the environment. Our organic coffee meets certification according to the norms of European Community and the United States delivered by Biolatina and IMO CONTROL / NATURLAND.
Consumers who drink “gourmet” coffee demand fine aroma and excellent flavor. The coffee offered by CEPICAFE for this market is a coffee produced at many meters above sea level, which permits those characteristics. The specific conditions we find in the Northwest Andes make coffee product in Peru unique. Those conditions combined with the “gourmet” market give us the opportunity to develop our abilities as coffee growers in the long run. For that reason, we maintain strengthened relations with this special market every day.
Vision
The Central Piurana de Cafetaleros, CEPICAFE, is a union in which all members are constantly and democratically involved in making decisions, and it is a strong reference for the implementation of measures and actions. It is working to improve the conditions of life of its members, eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development for the communities.
A fair price for a quality product permits us to further improve the technical performance of our coffee production, to have libraries at schools, have better cooking equipment, create family gardens and empower our organizations.
Mission
CEPICAFE, created in 1995, is an efficient and professional union of 51 base organizations. It represents the small-scale coffee farmers of the Piuran Mountains and Cajamarca with its alliance with CENFROCAFE. It aims to improve the quality of life of its members, promote sustainable social development through the practice of fair trade, and the production and commercialization of organic, high-altitude, and shade-grown coffees.
In CEPICAFE, well known in the region for its seriousness, honesty, reliability, tradition and solidarity, it is our commitment to produce high-quality coffee in order to be able to enter in competition in the international market.
Through CEPICAFE our members have access to credit and are also provided permanent training in organic techniques and aspects of quality control by our advisory organization called Pidecafe, a non-governmental organization specializing in coffee.
Objectives:
- Quality of life for the coffee-growing families
- Quality of life for the consumers
- Positive competitiveness and social development
- Experience and reliability
- Total respect for the environment
Comparatives advantages:
- High quality product
- Strong coffee-growing family representation
- Permanent training for its members
- New strategic alliances
Member of: The National Coffee Broad; The Rural Coordinator; The Register of Fair Trade Labeling Organization (FLO International); The Latin American Fair Trade Organization of Producers; and the Association of Fine Coffee From Northern Peru
Localization
CEPICAFE is located in Northern Peru, in three provinces of the department of Piura: Ayabaca, Morropón and Huancabamba.
This area is geographically located on the western slope of the Andes in Piura. Very near the border with Ecuador, where coffee is grown at 900-1,500 meters above sea level, the area offers unique climatic and soil conditions. The CEPICAFE central office is located in the department capital.
Area de intervención de CEPICAFE
– – – – –
Puerto
THE ANDEAN MOUNTAINS:
Area: Northern Peru.Provinces:
Piura: Ayabaca, Morropón, Huancabamba.
Cajamarca: Jaén, San Ignacio.Altitude: 900 – 1,600 m above sea level
Strategic Alliances
Alliance with CENFROCAFE:
Since 2000 CEPICAFE has worked in coordination with CENFROCAFE, an organization of producers from Northwestern Peru located in the provinces of Jaen and San Ignacio in the department of Cajamarca. In 2003, CENFROCAFE became a formal member of CEPICAFE.
Objectives:
• To increase our offering of coffee.
• To offer different types and qualities of coffee that meet market requirements.
• To reduce administrative and fixed prices in a manner that brings a better price to our producers.
• To improve and expand services for our members.
• To elaborate a common promotion for both organizations in the market.
• To contribute to an improved competitiveness in the market
Results:
• The strengthening of both organizations.
• The increase of 100% in the volume of exportations in 2003.
• The increase of 100% in the volume of sales of high-quality coffee.
• Relationship with new clients.
• The increase in the price received for each quintal (46 kg) of coffee.
• The cooperation with local governments and other organizations.
Promotional strategy and competitiveness:
CAFÉ NORANDINO:
Café Norandino is an association of organizations of small-scale producers attuned to the offering of the best products for our consumers. Our association promotes and supervises the quality of the fine coffees of Northern Peru, guarantying an Arabic coffee of exquisite aroma and fine acidity.
With plantations located between the Andes and the Amazon, Café Norandino guarantees a fine coffee that comes from ideal conditions, agro-ecological production, and the hard work of producers who respect the land and its culture.
The association includes: Cepicafe, Cenfrocafe and Oro Verde.
Credits
In order to allow producers to sell before harvest, we give credits to our members so that they can implement cultivation work and sustain their family. Those credits are given between January and March and are directly managed by our organization’s staff.
These credits are necessary for coffee growers in order to assume expenditure for harvest such as: collection of cherries and coffee processing. They are given between May and June. As with the former credit, it is managed by our organizations who have been strengthened and who count with an organized and efficient management.
These credits allow the small-scale producers to own machinery, equipment and create productive infrastructure. Likewise, it allows producers to renovate or create diversified coffee or sugarcane plantations that allow farmers’ families to earn more money and be less vulnerable to agricultural livestock risks.
CEPICAFE offers a funeral fund to its members that permits them to pay for the expense a physical lost involves. This fund is given to the family members when they need it in order to pay for the funeral procedure and the burial costs.
Training
Through the NGO PIDECAFE, technical training in productivity and management have been gained. The training provided includes methods for improving agricultural and livestock activities, self-esteem, gender and leadership workshops, as well as civil vigilance and participation.
Women’s Participation
18% of our members are women. They participate in making decisions and some of them are elected to lead associations. Now that they can earn their own money and participate in making decisions about agricultural investment and community development, the woman has more consideration within the family unit.
Coffee’s
We produce scrubbed coffee that belongs to the “typica” variety, which is grown in the shade of fruit-trees and is well known for its quality and ecological contribution.
At CEPICAFE, being aware of the importance of preserving the unique characteristics of this particular coffee-growing region, we promote conservation of our coffee variety “typica” and the use of agro-forestry systems in order to grow our product in an ecological way. The advantages offered by small-parcel agriculture allow our members to apply all their skills and efforts to produce quality scrubbed coffee that is healthy for the consumer. We offer our customers a typical, naturally-grown coffee that has been organically certified by BIOLATINA and IMO CONTROL / NATURAND.
Our coffee production is grown by family units. The producers in our coffee region have always cultivated their coffee in the shade of fruit-trees, an element of the environment that also supplies them with an important part of their diet.
In the Piuran Region, the coffee production started 100 years ago thanks to the introduction of a variety called “typica”, also known as the “Creole Coffee”. This rustic variety is successful in the region thanks to its good adaptation to the agro-climatic conditions.
The agro ecological characteristics of the ecosystem and the altitude of the region allow for production of quality coffee with good aroma: the soils are franco-sandy, and the wide vegetation are highly favorable for the production of organic shade-grown coffee.
The “typica” variety is very resistant and perfectly suited to the climatic conditions. This is why our ancestors chose to cultivate it and today 95% of our crops are typical Arabic shade-grown coffee.
Some consumers prefer this variety because of its exquisite aroma. You can also find the rich aroma of Typica coffee in Tassimo pods.
At CEPICAFE we understand the importance of post-harvest treatment of coffee to obtain high-quality scrubbed coffee.
As we seek to improve the quality of our coffee, CEPICAFE base organizations are implementing appropriate infrastructure to obtain an excellent scrubbed coffee, and at the same time avoid contaminating the environment.
In Germany our coffee is sold with its own name brand in solidarity and Fair Trade stores.
In Italy and France CEPICAFE is sold as a blend with other coffees.
Our product can be found in other countries as well as under different brand names promoted by different companies such as Equal Exchange, Royal Coffee or Twin Trading.
The Coffee Commercialization Company (ECOCAFE) is the sales and marketing branch of CEPICAFE.
ECOCAFE markets and sells ecologically-friendly coffee from Piura in the regional and national markets, under the name brand of “Cafe Piurano”. It can be brought in the principles stores and supply centers of Piura, where you can sample our coffee at a coffee tasting.
Panela
Granulated panela (ecological sugar) is the juice extracted from sugar cane, dehydrated and crystallized only through the process of evaporation. This kind of sugar is neither refined in any way, nor does it undergo any other type of chemical processing (adding of clarifiers, anti-caking agent, etc.)
Panela is very nutritive, conserving all of the vitamins and minerals of the sugar cane. It also dissolves better than blonde and brown sugar due to its particular form of crystals.
The advantages of panela compared with conventional sugar (blonde, brown and white) are huge; the differences are apparent from the first step of production:
- To obtain white sugar, you need a complex chemicalprocess that destroys all the vitamins and practically all the minerals. The result is a highly processed product in which only carbohydrates are left.
- On the contrary, granulated panela does not lose its nutrients; that is why it can be considered as a healthy and nutritive ingredient.
Granulated panela is a product whose special nutritive characteristics permit it to be considered as a healthy basic ingredient for the population, and whose consumption supplies a major part of the nutritional needs of people, providing carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
Of course, its other function is as a sweetener of other food products.
The Project of Granulated Panela (ecological sugar) was started as an alternative form of assistance for the small producers of our association and in order to develop diversification of products produced in the zone. At the outset, the decision was made to initiate the project in the town of Montero.
The granulated panela project experienced a substantial increase in the exportation market exceeding all expectations. For example, in 2003, 10 tons were sent to the French market; in 2004 20 containers were sold, 6 containers of 14 tons each to the French market and 14 containers of 24 tons each to the Italian market, a total 444 tons of sugar.
Today, with the diversification of our products and an increase in the sales of granulated panela forecasted, we are experiencing a rapid increase of raw material in all of the production zones, which will permit an expansion of sales. We have proposals and orders for samples from important importers in European and North American supermarkets.