Strengthening Farms, Families, and Markets

Coffee farmers who are members of Cooperativa Agraria AMOJU in northern Peru directed their 2025 Community Development Funds toward three interconnected goals: stronger farm productivity, better member support, and expanded commercial access. Based in Jaén and serving approximately 636 smallholder farmers across Cajamarca, Amazonas, and San Martín, the cooperative generated approximately $853,940 USD in Fair Trade Premium in 2025. Members allocated these funds across productivity and coffee quality, organizational and social management, and commercial and business development. The cooperative takes its name from the Río Amojú, which runs through the city of Jaén, and from the Awajún word for "source of fresh water." Founded in September 2016, AMOJU has grown to represent farmers working within an environmentally conscious production system across three regions of northern Peru. This regional reach and mission-driven foundation shaped how members chose to invest their premium. At the farm level, the cooperative hired field extension technicians to advise members throughout the year, established 85 demonstration plots to support productive diversification, and distributed organic inputs to affiliated farmers. These investments gave producers practical knowledge and hands-on resources to support coffee quality and yields over time. Rather than one-time assistance, the approach focused on building capacity that members could apply season after season. AMOJU also invested in its people and organization. Members received economic incentives tied to coffee quality, recognizing the care and effort producers put into each harvest. The technical team received training to sharpen their field advising skills, and board members and cooperative leaders participated in governance and organizational management training. Families additionally received basic food baskets, reflecting the cooperative's commitment to member wellbeing beyond the farm. On the commercial side, AMOJU invested in participation at national and international trade shows, business roundtables, and commercial and logistics advisory services. These activities helped the cooperative build relationships with buyers, strengthen its market positioning, and pursue new export opportunities for its specialty coffee. Together, these 2025 investments helped AMOJU support farmers at the farm level while also strengthening the cooperative’s capacity to manage quality coffee and pursue export market opportunities.