Our delicious Peruvian COYA Decaf is decaffeinated through water-processing, rather than through the use of toxic chemicals, such as methyl chloride.
Named after Coya, the Incan word for high priestess, our Certified Organic, Fair Trade, Directly-Traded shade-grown beans foster hope and empower women in rural farming communities in Peru.
Directly-Traded and roasted by an Austin-based woman-owned business, our coffee is a story of lifting lives, and fostering hope.
HOW IS FAIR TRADE HELPING?
By purchasing our coffee, you are assisting in touching the lives of the Pangoa community, by promoting education to gender equality and raising the quality of life. Your purchase assists the Women's Development Committee (Comite de Desarrollo de la Mujer) to benefit the female members, wives, and daughters. by organizing medical check-ups for all women over 30 years old for prevention and early detection of several diseases, and grooming new leaders and members with a new vision of development that includes and appreciates the female voice. Your purchase also assists in supporting an Educational Fund, a Health Services Fund, and funds to develop individual wet processing and drying stations.
ABOUT THE FARMERS
In the central Amazon region of Peru, CAC Pangoa (Cooperativa Agraria Cafetelera Pangoa) has been serving its members since 1977. During the period known as El Terrorismo ("the terrorism") when the radical Communist/Maoist guerrilla Shining Path organization waged a bloodthirsty terrorist campaign through rural Peru, killing thousands of innocent people, CAC Pangoa lost hundreds of farmers who fled to cities to escape the terror. Since then, they have regained membership and currently serve approximately 600 members.
CAC Pangoa began encouraging its members to switch to organics through a formalized program of training and documenting practices according to OCIA (international organic certifier) standards. In 2002, they received their first certification; today, about 50% of their members are either in transition or already certified organic. In 2001, they received FLO certification.
In addition to coffee, Pangoa has promoted economic diversification through ecotourism, coffee roasting, and cultivation of cacao and honey.
Ing. Esperanza Diniosio, general manager of CAC Pangoa proudly reports, "With the Fair Trade price we hope to increase our organic production so that we can improve and conserve the soil and subsequently increase our productivity. With increased revenue from Fair Trade sales, we plan to improve all technical aspects of our production."
