Supporting the SOPPEXCCA Cooperative
SOPPEXCCA is a coffee cooperative of 520 member-families in Jinotega and Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Since 2001, Cafe Moto has been buying coffee from the Las Hermanas Women’s Led Cooperative, one of the members of SOPPEXCCA.
On average, families grow around five acres of coffee, and own about 8.6 acres of land in total. Low income from coffee, combined with the lack of access to healthy food or a secure social safety net leaves most families vulnerable — facing three and a half months of food insecurity — every year.
Since 2018, Cafe Moto has been working with SOPPEXCCA and Food for Farmers to reduce seasonal hunger and help local families build a more secure and diverse economic foundation, right on their farms. Using sale proceeds from our Las Hermanas coffee we helped fund the creation of Mercadito Nutri-Hogar, Jinotega’s first-ever organic farmers market run by the women of the local coops.
“When women have access to the means of production of food, they have access to local markets and can move toward economic independence.”
~ Fatima Ismael, Director of SOPPEXCCA
Currently the SOPPEXCCA women’s market is doing exceptionally well, delivering income, healthy food, and entrepreneurial skills to 36 women. 15 more are now training to join, and 20 more are waiting for us to raise funds so they can do the same in 2022. The women have created two satellite markets in El Cua and another remote community, and demand for their organic produce is strong. The pandemic has only amplified the importance of having fresh, local foods available.
Cafe Moto continues to support the efforts of the SOPPEXCCA organic markets and recently purchased a commercial refrigerated display case to preserve food for multi-day sales. The refrigerated display case will allow SOPPEXCCA to ramp up production and sales of organic food, and reduce the requirement to travel every day to bring fresh food to the market.
You can learn more about the SOPPEXCCA cooperative here.
Gloria Talavera sells her homemade bunuelos, a sweet treat made from soft cheese and corn.