14 Apr 2020
Coffee cooperatives in Peru use Fairtrade Premium to provide food supply kits to their communities during the crisis
Though the central government has arranged to provide subsidies to support the population with the most limited resources, it has not been possible to reach the entire population. To support the government’s efforts and their community, two Fairtrade coffee cooperatives are taking initiative to support their communities during the crisis.
CLAC
On 16 March, the government of Peru declared a state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the closure of borders, a halt of trade activities except for the production, import and export of food, as well as restrictions on the mobility of people.
Two Peruvian coffee cooperatives are demonstrating solidarity during this precarious time.
The Amazonas Alto Mayo Producers Association (APROMAYO) has assembled food supply kits that included rice, oil, noodles, sugar, milk and canned food to distribute mostly to the elderly of the community. They used Fairtrade Premium funds to purchase the provisions. During the first round, they distributed 50 food packages, and 30 additional packages that were donated by other institutions at the local level.
APROMAYO is planning another distribution of food provisions for the 250 producers who are part of the organization. The board of directors, lead by the organization´s president, Joseph Ríos Vásquez, is arranging the distribution.
Another Fairtrade certified coffee cooperative, Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples ADISA Naranjos, has also been using the Fairtrade Premium to distribute 50 food provisions to the organization´s members.
For the elderly, people with limited mobility, or those facing food insecurity, this support from the cooperatives is a lifeline. It's another way that Fairtrade certified producers in Peru -- and across the globe -- are making a big difference during this time.
APROMAYO