Amaca

AMACA (Asociación de Mujeres Productoras Agropecuarias del Cauca) is a group of women coffee producers located in El Tambo, Cauca, Colombia. The association was formed in 1999 by 80 local women; today, it has over 140 members, all women smallholder farmers and heads of household—and their coffee is fantastic.

All of AMACA’s members derive their livelihoods and support their families from their coffee. In 2008, the organization partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the governor of Cauca and the municipality leadership of El Tambo in efforts to increase their production. In 2010, an organization called Social Action supplied 22 of the member farms with wet mills and processing tanks to help improve quality and efficiency.

Membership of AMACA represents three different villages within El Tambo, and the average farm size ranges from 1–3 hectares, at about 5,000 trees per hectare.