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COSURA is a secondary-level cooperative currently comprised of eleven producer asociations, one cooperative and three territorial entities or municipalities from the Southern Colombian Macizo mountains in the center and south of the region of Cauca.
The organization was constituted on March 12th 1993 with the objective of furthering the economic development of a region that was largely cut off from the rest of the country due to civil war and political violence. With support from the Alternative Development program of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and through the institutional cooperation of the Integrated Rural Development Program of the Colombian Government, the regional Cauca Government and municipalities in the area, the project sought to offer alternatives to illicit coca production to small farmers in the area in the regions of Souhern Cauca and Northern NariƱo by supporting investment projects in campesino communities and in their production. Under the COSURCA umbrella, small farmer organizations now received the support to develop markets for their products, primarily coffee, but also receive financing through a loan and savings program, as well as technical asistance in production.
Since their inception, COSURCA has followed seven core values: Solidarity, Cooperation, Responsability, Honesty, Hard work, Social Engagement and Respect for individuals and Nature.
Currently COSURCA is providing accompaniment and support in the technical, organizational, commercial, political and judicial development of 1500 small farmer families, with an emphasis on organic and fair trade coffee production, food security and self-sufficiency for communities through the production of staple crops, as well as the production and commercialization of tropical fuits for pulp and juices. COSURCA exports fair trade coffee to small and medium wholesale coffee roasters, but also manages its own line of wholesale roasted coffee for the domestic market. As a fundamental tennet of its philosophy of economic development, COSURCA strives to be as inclusive as possible by engaging ethnic minority groups and women in the different projects it implements in its communities.
Information Courtesy of COSURCA
Tasting profile: Medium bodied, citric acidity, milk chocolate, lemon, caramel and raisin.
Cooperativa del Sur del Cauca
- FLO ID#: 911
- Organic Cert
Profile
- Total Bags Purchased: 7978
- Partner Since: 2016
- Founded: 2000
- Total Members: 1459
- Total Hectares: 1.00
- Organic Members: 701
- Female Members: 517
- Avg Farm Size: 0.00 ha
- Organic Hectares: 580.00
- Full time staff: 23
- Fulltime Agronomists: 13
- Harvest: May-Aug
- Elevation: 800-2200 m
Varietals Grown:
- 50% Colombia
- 40% Castillo
- 10% Caturra
Social Premium Investment: 2023 Crop Year
Fair Trade Certification guarantees 20 cents/lb of the price paid a producer organization is set aside as a social premium. How this money is invested is a decision taken collectively by the general assembly of members at the end of each harvest. Below is a break down of how producers in this organization chose to spend their fair trade premium.
45% |
Additional Income
Strengthen productive, commercial and organizational processes, through the FT 2021 investment plans in associated organizations and families.13 grassroots organizations have prepared and executed the premium investment plans corresponding to the 2022 harvest; 275 farm monitoring visits were made and a report on the execution of the premiums was presented at the COSURCA general assembly.
|
35% |
Improve Yields
Improve the productivity and quality of coffee and other Fair Trade products from the farm for own consumption, the domestic and foreign markets. 11 technical assistance and training plans for grassroots organizations were developed; 1,459 families (100% of the associates) received technical assistance; 3 follow-up evaluations were carried out for each of the 11 technical assistance and support plans; Support, guidance and internal control for organic and Fairtrade certification were provided to
|
10% |
Community Development
Strengthen the capacities of producers, managers and technicians to understand economic, political, environmental and sociocultural problems in order to generate changes within the producer associations that are part of the COSURCA Cooperative. 80% of the associated families, managers and technical team participated in the technical and productive training organized by the local team in agroecological production, climate change and adaptation and mitigation actions, training in coffee quality, a
|
10% |
Operations
Provide accounting, administrative, financial and tax advice to strengthen the organizations associated with COSURCA.Training for 12 organizations in accounting, financial, administrative and commercial topics; Accounting for 13 grassroots organizations was prepared, with their respective accounting supports; 11 organizations participated in Ordinary Assemblies in 2022, with the presentation of financial statements for 2021; 11 Income Tax returns, Exogenous Information for the 2021 period and th
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Recent Projects We Supported:
Date | Project | Status | Report |
9/18/24 | COSURCA - Diplomado Sembrando Vida | Approved | |
6/24/24 | Strengthening Organic Production for Sustainable Market Access | Approved |