Current Inventory Highlight: Women’s Coffee from Aldea Global

Posted on January 14th, 2025

Two lots available in-store now: P22534 & P22535

Growth of Nicaragua’s Specialty Cooperatives and Smallholders

When we think of Nicaragua, we think of cup consistency alongside product transparency achieved through cooperation, support, and technology. As Green Buyer Lucho says in the video below, he has been sourcing coffee in the region for a decade. In that time, small-community cooperatives have increased producer participation, allowing more coffee to reach the market. Collective education has transformed farming practices to prioritize environmental sustainability and cup quality. Today, we source Nicaraguan coffee from more producers than ever, particularly from women producers in the Jinotega department.

Tierra Madre or “Mother Earth” Coffees

Lucho mentions we’ve been working on Women Producer coffees for the past two years alongside long-time supplier Aldea Global. Like Cafe Imports, Aldea Global started small 30 years ago with a vision for the future. In 1992, they piloted with 22 producers, focusing on promoting health in agricultural practices and supporting rural family development. This initial project has grown into a cooperative with over 14,000 producers today, 34% of whom are women.

Their list of services has grown, too. Registration is straightforward, and they provide multiple loan options, annual distribution of quality agricultural inputs, and development programs across 900 rural communities in the Jinotega Department of Nicaragua. Even though the program’s scope has grown (by an average of 1,190 producers per year since 2013), its vision has remained steadfast: “to be a valuable entity for the progress of our rural communities.” (Read through Aldea Global’s website to learn more about its many services and programs.)

125 Jinotega women are part of the Tierra Madre—Mother Earth—Women Producers Program. Women producers are often caretakers. They cultivate at least one-third of Nicaragua’s farmland and nurture the country’s future generations. They deserve any support and premium we can offer. The premium, facilitated by Aldea Global, is dedicated to promoting gender equality, but what does that look like in Jinotega?

Women only hold 15% of land titles in the country, which is key to accessing micro-credit loans for farming and other economic activities. Our premium funds initiatives to legalize land cultivated by women, giving them rightful access to financial tools that have previously been denied to them. Aldea Global actively invites women to participate in the Cooperative’s decision-making processes and leadership roles. Also, through Aldea’s “Our Happy Home” gender equality initiative, they provide schools with supplies and piped running water while also supporting young and women entrepreneurs.

These are just a few examples of Aldea Global’s efforts to vest their communities with equality and resilience. They are actively ensuring the future of coffee farming for all ages and genders in Nicaragua. We’re honored to support and see it grow by selling these cooked-fruit, nutty, mildly citrusy coffees.

Women-Produced Farm Specific Lots from Finca Los Positos

The Tierra Madres currently on offer are lots produced by Maria Estanislada Martinez, owner of Finca Los Positos. Her farm symbolizes family legacy, as Maria inherited her 1 hectare of farmland and a truck from her parents, who were also coffee producers. She sold the truck, purchased more land, and planted more coffee.

Today, her farm spans 21.35 hectares and includes a wet mill, housing facilities, a large kitchen, and a water treatment system. Maria employs 30 full-time workers and hires an additional hundred during the harvest season. Like her parents, she’s already signed one hectare of land over to each of her sons.

P#22534

The Cup: Flavors of mild praline, cooked fruit and spices with tart acidity and mellow sweetness.

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P#22535

The Cup: Praline and pecan with mild tart acidity and mellow sweetness.

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Ms. Martinez is a story of a legacy built through coffee, which is becoming increasingly difficult for smallholders to realize. Like Aldea Global, our vision is to promote the health of small businesses, whether roasters or farmers. We want to offer you phenomenal menu options that carry significance beyond just the green coffee. Suppliers who become program partners, like Aldea Global, are essential to our business model because our model is framed by our worldview.

If you’d like more information or want to try these Nicaraguan coffees, we would love to hear from you.