Investing in quality and environmental sustainability
Farmers take advantage of their naturally beautiful environment and cultivate shade coffee under the canopy of native and exotic trees.
These trees and the farmers’ management practices help sustain th ecosystem through biodiversity and soil and water conservation. CECOCAFEN farmers focus on using natural resources without harming the environment and avoid the use of chemicals, which protects the environment and improves the coffee’s flavour and quality.
Quality is of the utmost importance to CECOCAFEN. The quality of their coffee is preserved right from growing and harvesting the coffee plants through to the processing stage. Coffee is harvested, collected and processed according to the region it comes from. This ensures the unique flavours of each batch can be easily identified, and blended according to specific product needs.
CECOCAFEN have their own processing facilities, SOLCAFE, which were partly funded by Cafédirect premiums, as well as a quality control laboratory – an essential tool for carrying out their rigorous quality checks!
With advice and training from the Cafédirect's Producer Partnership Programme (PPP) CECOCAFEN have developed a marketing strategy which has helped them find additional markets for their coffee. The PPP have also provided valuable business and technical training such as price risk management, designing tools and creating links with other partners, which provides valuable information sharing opportunities.
Blanca Molina
CECOCAFEN member
"Only the best goes into CECOCAFEN coffee. The emphasis on quality starts right at the point of selection of the seeds. The Fairtrade premium has boosted our drive to improve, allowing investment in processing facilities and a quality control laboratory at the mill."

