The Beginning
| About the Cafe Femenino Project |
| The Beginning |
| Support |
| Festivals |
| A New Idea |
| Community |
| Farming |
| Objectives |
| Our Commitment |
| Today |
| Hope |
Today, we are only at the beginning of the story, and it begins in Northern Peru. Over the past eleven years OPTCO has worked together with our partners in Peru, PROASSA, along with the non-governmental organization CICAP, to find ways to improve life in the expanding number of rural coffee-growing communities where we work. With the help of organic and Fair Trade premiums much has been accomplished. This ranges from improvement in the community economies, better diets, improved sanitation, nine new wet-processing mills, and many, many miles of new roads.
Despite the progress, the marginalization of the women in these rural communities has grown worse. In urban areas of Peru the abuse rate is estimated at 41%. Due to the isolation and lack of help, in rural communities the rate is far higher.
In many ways over the years we have been trying to change this situation. It is now required that at least one woman serve on the Board of Directors of each coffee association that contributes to the coffees imported by OPTCO. We also require that a woman serve on the Board of Directors for the Fair Trade Co-op CECANOR. read more >