El Salvador Sonsonate Cooperativa La Majada SHG EP 2022

El Salvador Sonsonate Cooperativa La Majada

The Cooperativa de Cafetaleros de San Jose La Majada, or Cooperative Society of Coffee Growers of San Jose La Majada, was born out of a need to protect smallholders in southwestern El Salvador from financial challenges that arose from economic and environmental fluctuations in the coffee industry.

Until the mid-60s, the Sonsonate department was characterized by a significant number of smallholder coffee farmers operating individually. Working separately left them vulnerable to financial setbacks whenever they encountered unforeseen problems such as poor harvests, price fluctuations, family emergencies, or climate instability. To overcome setbacks, farmers would borrow money to cover the production costs for the next harvest at predatory rates. Often, this pushed the growers further and further into debt.

In 1967, three coffee growers decided to try to unify Sonsonate’s farmers. They founded the cooperative with 19 other smallholders based in San Jose de La Majada. Together, the cooperative members took on risks to uplift the community and improve economic, social, and cultural conditions. Today, the group works together providing education and business services, including the production and the sale of both green coffee and roasted coffee in El Salvador.