Nicaragua Segovia

Farm: PRODECOOP

Process: Fully Washed

Variety: Bourbon, Catimor, Caturra, Typica

Elevation: 1250 - 1350 Meters

Region: Nueva Segovia 

PRODECOOP is a second-level cooperative organization that groups 38 grassroots cooperatives made up of 2,300 small producers, 27% of whom are women.

These producers and their respective cooperatives are located in the departments of Esteli, Madriz, and Nueva Segovia, in northern Nicaragua. On average, they export 30,000 coffee bags, of which 50% of the total volume is organic and Fair Trade certified.

Over its existence, PRODECOOP has developed a long line of programs that aim to support their members in a multitude of different ways. They are able to fund these programs using their Fair-Trade premium.

1)      Study Through Coffee

·         Each year 3,000 packages of school supplies and backpacks are delivered to school children, encouraging school attendance and proficiency.

2)      Women’s Initiative

·         A fund exists that gives women producers, producers’ wives, and producers’ daughters access to loans. This allows for ventures and opportunities such as starting small businesses. Once a loan is paid off, one can apply for more.

3)      Cultivating Health

·         Promoters trained in the prevention of cervical cancer give talks to interested members. This program is made possible through Grounds for Health and Nicaragua’s Ministry of Health and has helped in the screening of more than 3,000 women for cancer.

4)      Productivity and Quality

·         This program is directly focused on the increase both quality and productivity of coffee by means of education of pest and disease control, diversification of varieties, and specifically combating leaf rust.

5)      Food Security and Sovereignty

·         As most of the producing families are very small in size, the recent changes in climate patterns have a greater effect on the livelihoods of smallholders. This program is dedicated to educating people on diversifying their food securities through the farming of different crops and maintaining livestock, such as chickens, pigs, and cattle.

Brewing Recommendations

This coffee is very versatile giving you multiple brewing options. We recommend Chemex, French Press, Drip and Pour Over. It also does well as an espresso shot and it's dark enough to handle milk options for mixed drinks without being flat.