La Plata

Coagrobrisas is a cooperative dedicated to providing agricultural technical assistance, as well as the processing and commercialisation of high quality coffee and agricultural products. Through participatory organization, it seeks to promote the social and economic development of its members and the surrounding community, improving the quality of life of its associates. Coagrobrisas is located in La Plata, Huila, in the central area of the department, and also operates a dedicated women’s program aimed at empowering women as coffee growers and strengthening their role within the coffee value chain. Coagrobrisas provides training to its producer members, offers ongoing agronomic support, and most importantly delivers collective cupping and group purchasing services that allow producers to sell their coffee together and access better prices. The cooperative also operates drying facilities for producers who do not have adequate infrastructure to properly dry their coffee. We were lucky enough to travel to Colombia and visit the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) in 2025, to see their community driven approach in person. They provide farmers with a guaranteed fair market buyer, fund sustainability research, and invest heavily in the social wellbeing of rural coffee communities. As the exporter, the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) values the training efforts carried out by Coagrobrisas and works through a specific program to source coffee produced by women, paying a premium price. This premium is paid directly into the women producers’ bank accounts, with the objective of encouraging sound business management, financial autonomy, and the empowerment of women coffee growers.