This June, our Producer Relations Manager, Sara Velásquez, embarked on an inspiring journey to meet our partner farm of nine years, COOPARM, in Peru.
COOPARM - Our Partners in Peru
Sara: Visiting COOPARM involved a journey deep into the Amazonas region of Peru. After flying from Lima to Chachapoyas, an hour-and-a-half plane ride, we embarked on a five-hour car ride to Rodríguez de Mendoza. The trip took us through breathtaking landscapes, crossing numerous rivers that feed into the Amazon River and bridges connecting communities.
After visiting the producers from COOPARM with their agronomist in motorcycles (their usual way of transportation) we had lunch in a local restaurant.
Sara and Cooparm's team.
María Muñoz and Rocky -the head security at Cooparm- holding a bag of Peru Amazonas.
During the visit, I had the privilege to meet with smallholder producer farms near the town, such as María Muñoz, who was proudly holding a bag of Peru Amazonas, and Rocky, the head of security at Cooparm. These personal connections, these human stories, are what make our partnership with COOPARM and all of our partner farms so special and meaningful. They are real people with whom we share a common goal.
Segundo Próspero Santillán Espinoza
Don Segundo is a very inspiring farmer; besides coffee, he also grows peanuts. He builds his own raised beds to dry the coffee on his patio.
Elías Muñoz Meléndez, Producer at COOPARM
Gloria Novoa López & Emi Portocarrero López
What I enjoy most on these trips are the honest and meaningful conversations I have with producers, learning about their needs, finding solutions jointly, and planning projects and initiatives jointly. Thank you for having me, COOPARM, I’ll be back!
