Social Issue

In the 1990s, the Central Huallaga Valley in Peru was a highly conflictive area due to violence perpetrated by numerous armed groups that controlled coca cultivation.

Our Response

ACOPAGRO was born in 1992 thanks to 27 farmers who decided to create, from the cultivation of cocoa, an alternative to coca plantations. In 1997, it was established as a cooperative to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers, increasing their income from the sale of the product.

ACOPAGRO tries to improve the economic, cultural, and social level of its 2,000 members, trying to obtain more income from the commercialisation of cocoa and thus ensuring the well-being of the members of the cooperative and their families. Its scope covers from sowing to exporting, including maintenance and harvesting.

ACOPAGRO currently produces 7% of the country’s cocoa and is the largest exporter of organic and fair trade cocoa in Peru. Their productivity levels per member, year, and cultivated hectare double the national average, and their social projects with the benefits obtained from the sale of cocoa have an effect on all the families of the cooperative in matters of health, education, as well as in many other areas, like reforestation.

Expected Social Impact

The funds from this investment were used to finance the purchase of materials and to improve the assets of the cooperative. With the investment, more than 150 ACOPAGRO farmers are expected to increase their productivity and increase their income from the sale of cocoa by $6,000 annually. In addition, the investment is expected to collaterally impact 950 more people in the form of social benefits.