No Products in the Cart
Up to €50 of free coffee with the purchase of a coffee machine.
The Juan Marco El Palto Agrarian Cooperative —JUMARP for short—is located in the Amazonas region of northern Peru. It was founded in 2003 by 35 small producers to ensure sustainable livelihoods through the production and marketing of coffee, while remaining in harmony with the rainforest.
El Palto currently has 211 members, 21% of whom are women. The cooperative aims to become a leading producer of high-quality organic coffee, growing coffee sustainably without harming the fragile rainforest ecosystem. El Palto pursues three missions: to produce sustainable coffee and market it directly to avoid middlemen, to provide access to education for members and their families, and to promote environmental awareness and product quality.
Coffee Cultivation and Processing
JUMARP is based in the Eastern Cordillera of the Peruvian Andes. This ecoregion, also known as the High Forest or Selva Alta, is a unique ecosystem of dense, humid tropical forest located at high altitudes: conditions conducive to the cultivation of high-quality specialty coffees. El Palto coffee thrives under the canopy of the Amazon rainforest.
Farmers pick the coffee cherries when they are ripe, then wash and dry them naturally in the sun. After drying, the coffee is processed, sorted, and then exported from the port of Paita. The cooperative has its own cupping laboratory and employs the services of a professional taster.
The benefits of Fairtrade
When JUMARP obtained the Fairtrade label in 2006, it realized that coffee exports could be a way to promote ethical production and community development. To ensure democratic decision-making, JUMARP continuously informs its members of market expectations and knowledge so that they can make informed decisions.
JUMARP's General Assembly meets six times a year. It is the Cooperative's highest decision-making body and is composed of all members. The General Assembly elects four members to form the Board of Directors. The Electoral Commission and the Education Commission are composed of three elected members.
Although discrimination against women has been a major problem in the region, around 40 of El Palto's producer families are headed by women; women are still represented in leadership positions on the board of directors.
JUMARP invested the Fairtrade premiums it received in fermentation tanks, storage facilities, and a cupping laboratory.
