--- Luis Adauto de Oliveira, Coopfam President

Cooperativa dos Agricultores Familiares de Poco Fundo e Regi, Ltda (Coopfam) is an association of small-scale farmers located in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. Coopfam was formed from a collective desire to improve the living standard of farmers and to reduce poverty and emigration. In 1991, seventy-six families united to form the cooperative, determined to increase the productivity of their small plots and sustain the quality of family-oriented agriculture in the region. Coopfam was Fair Trade certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) in 1998 and began exporting to the United States in 2003.

The Brazil Responsible Sourcing Partnership
Coopfam is one of twelve Brazilian Fair Trade Certified producer groups participating in the Responsible Sourcing Partnership (RSP) project. The RSP project is a result of a partnership between USAID, TransFair USA, Walmart Stores, Inc. and SEBRAE-MG designed to improve the quality of Brazilian coffee, increase market linkages and raise producer capacity. Through participation in the RSP project, Coopfam has been able to improve available infrastructure and in turn the quality of their coffee and has benefited from training programs and increased contact with the U.S. coffee market

Highlights
At the inaugural Brazilian Fair Trade Certified Cupping competition in 2008, Coopfam president Luis Adauto de Oliveira’s organic coffee received the first place prize in the natural category. The coffee was auctioned for $7.20 per pound – a price more than five dollars higher than that typically paid for Fair Trade organic coffee. Luis’ winning coffee was dried on a cement drying patio funded through the Responsible Sourcing Partnership project.

The Fair Trade price has enabled Cooperativa dos Agricultores Familiares de Poco Fundo e Regi to establish various social and productive programs

Education.
Coopfam has implemented computer education classes for children and the community. They have also established a partnership with a private school to offer quality education to children of cooperative members.

Productive Investment.
With their Fair Trade premium, Coopfam has built a storage and processing facility for member use, and purchased tractors and other equipment. The Fair Trade premium enabled them to buy office technology and equipment to improve supply management and marketing. They have also purchased a car that is used to visit member farms and attend meetings. To improve member training sessions they invested in a projector, laptop, digital camera and mobile telephones. The cooperative also hired an agronomist to support and give training to member families as well as provide soil analysis and harvesting and handling training. Technical assistance for producers is fundamental in Coopfam’s promotion of sustainable, organic production.

Environment.
Coopfam has been able to continue its sustainable agriculture training program for co-op members.

Health.
The co-op has used Fair Trade revenue to broaden healthcare coverage for co-op members and their families. They have developed a partnership with a health service provider to offer basic coverage to members. Services include access to a general practitioner, women’s health services, vision and dental care. Coopfam also makes donations to the local public hospital and helps with special projects.

Home Improvements.
Coopfam has expanded the local electricity network to provide electrical access to everyone in the community. In an innovative effort, members of the cooperative manage a community farm with a house that serves as senior citizen residence for elderly members. All profits generated from the community farm are invested back into the house to pay for food, medicine, and maintenance expenses.