Founded in 2005 with support from Caritas Jaen, a Catholic social service and humanitarian organization, Sol & Cafe is located in the province of Jaen, in the rural Cajamarca Region of Peru. After quickly acquiring the necessary organic and fair trade certificates to sell directly to the North American and European markets, the cooperative and its initial 27 producers have grown to a base of more than 60 producer associations, bringing together some 1,000 farmer families and counting. Sol & Cafe continues to share an office space in the Caritas complex in Jaen, where it maintains a warehouse and quality control lab.

Sol & Cafe has followed a steady growth plan, with clear and strictly applied membership criteria, and a hands-on approach. Members are expected to actively participate in the development of their cooperative and to contribute to its growth by bringing in at least 51% of their estimated harvest. Sol & Cafe is dedicated to producing high-quality, organic coffee.

And the plan is working, with export levels around 80% of the total collective harvest, and members showing regularly as top finishers in quality competitions held nationally and abroad.

In addition to award winning quality, Sol & Cafe manages a sophisticated system of quality triage, helping their technical team hone in on farmers who need more assistance in growing and processing. The organization has developed impressive digital systems to manage traceability, from farmer delivery at warehouse to container, which has facilitated an integrated system of quality incentives, where higher qualities and yields render higher prices to farmers.

Overall, the coop has demonstrated an incredible capacity for innovation, regeneration, and the implementation of clear and specific strategies for climate resiliency and adaptation. By promoting field renovation and systematic pruning practices, they have been able to maintain extraordinary vitality in their trees and greater climate resilience in their fields.

Since partnering with Sol & Cafe in 2012, they have quickly become a solid and integral member of the Coop Coffees’ producer network, with excellent communication, coffee quality, and services to members.