CEPCO cooperative

The story

The Coordinadora Estatal de Productores de Café de Oaxaca (CEPCO) was established in 1989. It was formed by small-scale coffee producers in response to a global coffee price crisis and the withdrawal of government support organizations. In 1990, the cooperative created a commercial entity, CAEO, to facilitate the direct exportation of their coffee.

Challenges

The cooperative was formed during a period of significant economic instability in the coffee market and the loss of state-provided support for small-scale farmers.

Innovations

CEPCO pioneered an organizational model focused on direct exportation and participation in fair-trade markets to improve the economic outcomes for its thousands of small-scale producer members.