ADISA

ADISA is a coffee cooperative established in 2005 consisting of about 120 members operating in the watershed of the Alto Mayo Protection forest. The organization works with international commercial partners such as Sustainable Harvest to export FairTrade and Organic Certified Coffee.

THE PROJECT
ADISA is a 120 producers association created in 2005 and working under FLO Cert and Organic standards. VV loans were approved in 2010 for pre and post harvest expenses incurred by the cooperative. The financing provided, greatly helps to stimulate the growth of the organization as its size puts it in an interesting position with great potential for success but a need for external stimulation. Most of the associates are in the buffer zones or inside of the Alto Mayo Protected Area, and ADISA has developed some conservation projects of its own. Three of the associates are developing nurseries to sell native species of trees to plant in the farms, thus further contributing to restoration.

ADISA has an exporter license and uses Rainforest Trading to provide a variety of services ranging from processing to contract consulting. The organization’s main buyer is Green Coffee through Sustainable Harvest. The organization serves to manage the control system for FLO and Organic certifications as well as to coordinate and pay for the audit processes and certificates. Current and potential associates are given access to technical support and training. Other services include a system of quality control and traceability, access to trade finance, and access for individual finance through local entities. Despite its small size, ADISA is renowned for the dedication and foresight of its managers and members.

THE DEAL
In 2010 VV provided working capital to ADISA in order to help finance pre and post harvest expenses that will contribute to organizational development.

THE BENEFIT
ADISA is located in the Alto Mayo Protected Area of northern Peru. The region is rich with potential for coffee production but is in need of external financing to facilitate this process. The forest and its watershed area harbors many threatened plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth, and forms part of the Abiseo-Condor-Kutuku Conservation Corridor. Runoff from the Alto Mayo forests gives rise to several major rivers which ultimately flow through the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin and provide a source of clean water for local communities and agriculture. The cooperative works to develop projects that strive towards enhancing environmental efforts through things such as restoration initiatives (directly and indirectly-through nurseries-). ADISA’s operation contributes to the Alto Mayo watershed.

The alto Mayo River secures subsistence fisheries for indigenous populations, representing up to 42% of their protein intake. Since 2008, CI has engaged with the local communities of the Alto Mayo, using conservation agreements to secure the protection of the forest while benefiting the human population. In the future, the financial sustainability of more than 8000 downstream families and about 35000 regional inhabitants will depend on economic alternatives to protect the forest.