The town Rodriguez de Mendoza is found on the eastern slopes of the Andes. The community of the Asociación de Productores y Exportadores de Café Rodriguez de Mendoza (APROEXPORT) stretches all the way to the southern border of the Alto Mayo Protection Forest. The 356 cooperative members run smallholder farms between 2 and 10 hectares size. Ever since its foundation in 2013, the cooperative has strived to improve the livelihoods of its members. On a professional basis, experts are invited to consult on organic farm management practices. The cooperative profoundly believes that only intact environmental conditions will continuously lead to higher yields and consistently high quality in the cup. The area is known for its many forests and streams, which the farmers aim to maintain and thoroughly improve. The cooperative and their farmer members aim to benefit from the premiums for the organically produced coffee. This will supports the coffee farmers but also helps to establish solid and independent structures in a relatively remote region.
