In 1965, a group of 100 small-scale coffee farmers

from the Chanchamayo region came together

to establish the La Florida Cooperative. Today,

the coop has grown to over two thousand farmers

who work together to improve the quality of coffee

La Florida produces. The revenue from their Fair

Trade sales has brought education, infrastructure,

credit, and environmental consciousness to this rural

area. The coop has established The Occupational

Learning Center for Sustainable Agriculture, which

offers training in environmentally-friendly farming

techniques, as well as providing healthcare services in

rural areas, technical assistance in crop diversification

to create additional income, maintenance of five roads,

portable water systems, schools, a bridge, a health

clinic, and they have purchased machinery and land to

assist with coffee production. In 2005, La Florida won

6th place in Peru’s National Quality Competition.