Cac huadquiña
Coffee producer in Peru
CAC Huadquiña provides a stable livelihood for 310 smallholder farmers in the south of Peru, each growing quality Fairtrade and Organic coffee on 948 hectares of farmland along some of the highest mountainsides in the world.
Image: 17cƵ Lending Officer for South America, Santiago, meets with CAC Huadquiña coffee collection staff in the co-operative's warehouse in 2025.
InvestCACHuadquiñaprovides a stable livelihood for 310smallholder farmers in the south of Peru,each growing quality Fairtrade and Organic coffee on 948 hectares of farmland along some of the highest mountainsides in the world.
17cƵ and CAC Huadquiña
17cƵ has supported CACHuadquiñawith finance since 2022, helping the organisation to secure and fulfil coffee contracts and grow. The co-operative currently trades one-quarter of its coffee locally and exports theremainderto buyers in France, Germany,Greeceand America. One of CACܾܲñ’smain buyers is ethical UK-based coffee retailer and friend of 17cƵ,䲹é徱.
Regardingthe role of 17cƵ in CACܾܲñ’swork,Jhonysaid:
"17cƵ financing has had a positive impact on theHuadquiñacooperative, especially in offering [us]: access to fast and timely financing to compete with intermediaries who destabilize local market prices; economic growth [to] expand by generating jobs and strengthening the collections with financing, [and] improving the quality of life of producers with fair and timely payment for their coffee, supported by the financing granted by 17cƵ."
"Thanks to [17cƵ’s] efficient management, the co-operative has been able to significantly improve its coffee collections [...] fulfilling the contracts signed with customers on the agreed dates for the shipment of coffee containers, allowing for greater transparency and trust between members and directors.
“But what I really highlight is the help that 17cƵ has provided in times of necessity. Its support and solidarity have been fundamental for many of our members,demonstratingthat it is more than a financial institution, it is a community that shares interest in strengthening and financial sustainability in each coffee campaign.”
Farmers' Voice Radio
In 2024, Peruvian coffee co-operative CACHuadquiñaparticipated in the Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy and officially graduated from the course in 2025.
Announcing toLinkedIn, Farmers' Voice Radio said:
"CooperativaAgraria Cafetalera ܾܲñis the recipient of our first small grant for graduates of the Latin America Farmers’ Voice Radio Academy. Five members ofܾܲñ’smanagement and field team attended the online training and coaching course at the end of last year, alongside peers from 11 other smallholder coffee producer organisations based in Peru, Nicaragua and Honduras."
CACܾܲñ’sFarmers’ Voice Radio programme will be broadcast on two radio stations in the indigenous Quechua language, reaching an audience of 2,000 families in the Santa Teresa district of Cusco, southern Peru.
The programme aims to increase the reach and impact of the training and extension services offered by the co-operative to its members, with a focus on sustainable land management, building resilience to the impacts of climate change and meeting evolving EU regulations.
Explaining why he wants to learn to produce radio programmes, Omar, a member of CACHuadquiña, said:
‘We want to communicate and inform [our members] about the activities of the organisation and topics related to agricultural techniques, production, socialissuesand quality control. We also aim to broadcast the policies on collection, financing, and the national and international market situation.”
“Farmers’ Voice Radio could help [members be] better informed, trained and educated; board members being accountable for management on the radio, and staff being more committed to the cooperative.”
JhonyGayoso Valdera, General Manager of CACܾܲñ, said:
Back to map“Farmers’ Voice Radio strengthens capacities, skills, and knowledge through a shared experience among producers, who express their concerns. These concerns are analysed by the Programme Reference Group and invited professionals to deepen immediate solutions, allowing for improved agronomic practices, higher yields and quality, economic empowerment of both men and women, and greater resilience to climate change.Ultimately, thiscontributes to more secure livelihoods, maximizing the quality of life for producers in society.”