A Coffee Revolution is Brewing
In the lush rainforests of northern Peru, Idelso Fernandez is leading efforts to revolutionize the cultivation of one of the most popular crops in the world.
Idelso Fernández 2 (2019-07-13) by Sernanp/BpamConservation International
Growing coffee without destroying the forest
Fernandez manages the 463 members of a unique coffee collective, the Alto Mayo Forest Multiple Services Cooperative (COOPBAM). The collective cares for their lands through sustainable farming methods and produces some of the highest quality coffee in the world.
COOPBAM coffee production (2019-07-13) by Alex BryceConservation International
Fighting deforestation
COOPBAM, founded in 2014 with the support of Conservation International, provides local coffee farmers the training and financing to grow sustainable, world-class coffee beans while conserving this globally significant rainforest.
COOPBAM Coffee (2019-07-13) by Ana YiConservation International
Opportunities in coffee
“With COOPBAM, Peruvian coffee is changing lives. We’re producing a flagship product that fills us with pride,” said Fernández. “As coffee farmers, we focus on growing and selling high-quality beans and, of course, taking care of the environment.”
Idelso Fernández (2019-07-13) by Sernanp/BpamConservation International
"Good for Peru. Good for us"
“Growing coffee without destroying the forest improves the life of the farmers." said Fernández. “We produce outstanding coffee under the dense shade of our standing forest. Coffee for me is more than a job opportunity. It's become my life."
The future of coffee growing in the Alto Mayo
Fernández has invested his life into growing coffee and creating the co-op. The organization markets their beans to a global audience where they receive better pay by touting their sustainable growing methods. In the past, grown children would leave the highlands and head to the cities for work. Today, thanks to COOPBAM and other initiatives like it, children have a future growing coffee in the Alto Mayo.
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