UCA SOPPEXCCA – Fairtrade Fortnight 2016
Fatima Ismael
Fatima is a general manager of coffee co-operative
SOPPEXCCA, where she has been working since 1999. The
Literacy Campaign in Nicaragua in the 1980s gave Fatima the
opportunity to build her career through studies to enter a
profession that at the time was 97% male. Fatima chose
agronomy as a way of serving the needs of poor farmers in
Nicaragua.
Fatima’s career has included working on production
techniques, environmental protection, gender issues and education. In the last seven years, Fatima
has also worked in the area of market promotion and supported commercial activities to secure
gender equality and improved social and environmental impact of coffee farming, as well as
developing participation processes that enable the farmers to have control over their businesses and
livelihoods.
UCA SOPPEXCCA
The Unión de Cooperativas Agropecuarias (UCA) SOPPEXCCA is a union of 18 co-operatives located
in the department of Jinotega in northern Nicaragua where 60% of the country’s coffee is produced.
SOPPEXCCA was founded in 1997 by a group of 62 farmers in order to improve the lives of its
members and their communities.
Today 650 men and women producers with their families are organized in 15 cooperatives in the
UCA SOPPEXCCA. They produce around 825 tonnes of coffee a year on very small plots of land. All
coffee is shade grown and 30% is certified organic.
SOPPEXCCA was formed following the collapse of its predecessor though financial mismanagement
and has put in place a robust system of audits and regular general assemblies to ensure
transparency and accountability to its members. The organisation’s values are based on sustainable
production and protection of the environment. It has set up a youth movement to integrate young
Robertson House, 152 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4TB
0141 353 5611 | [email protected] | www.sftf.org.uk
Scottish Charity no: SCO39883 Scottish Company No: SC337384
people into the organisation and promote education, positive values, gender equality and cultural
and environmental awareness. It also runs school programmes to educate young people in
agriculture and ecology and prepare them for careers in coffee production.
SOPPEXCCA supplies Equal Exchange with Fairtrade-certified coffee as part of its "Coffee Grown by
Women" product range.
"Coffee Grown by Women"
In small farms that produce the majority of the world's coffee
approximately 60-80% of the productive work is fulfilled by
women and that often stays unnoticeable. In 2011, with the
help of Equal Exchange the “Coffee Grown by Women” range
was developed. This means that coffee is directly purchased
from women farmers that are members of the coffee cooperatives, and sold as Coffee Grown by Women under the Equal Exchange brand. This has proved
empowering for women as those who have joined the co-ops, and taken part in meetings and
decision making have received fair payment for the work that they done.
Besides Fairtrade and organic premiums also a small women’s premium is paid, and the women
farmers decide themselves how to distribute it. In SOPEXCCA now there are over 280 female
members in comparison to only five members in 2005.
The visit of Fatima Ismael is supported by the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.
Scottish Fair Trade Forum
The Scottish Fair Trade Forum was established in January 2007 by a
group of Fair Trade campaigners, Scotland-based nongovernmental organisations and the Scottish Government, to
promote the cause of Fair Trade in Scotland and help secure Fair Trade Nation status for
Scotland. In February 2013 Scotland became the second nation after Wales to achieve this
status. The Forum is an independent body with membership open to any individual or organisation
interested in promoting Fair Trade in Scotland. The Forum supports the establishment of Fair Trade
towns and zones; engages with different stakeholders, including the Scottish Government and
Parliament, business community and schools; and raises awareness of Fair Trade in Scotland through
engagement with the broader public.
Robertson House, 152 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4TB
0141 353 5611 | [email protected] | www.sftf.org.uk
Scottish Charity no: SCO39883 Scottish Company No: SC337384