At a Glance

Location: Jaén, Cajamarca, Peru

Impact Areas: Sustainable Income, Environment

People Supported:
Small-Scale Farmers, Rural Communities, Women

NESsT Program: Lirio Fund

Joined NESsT Loan Fund:
2021

https://www.coopelsoldelnorte.com/

Overview

Coffee producers in northern Peru face significant barriers to building sustainable livelihoods. Many operate on small plots of land with limited access to financing, technical assistance, and reliable market opportunities, making it difficult to improve productivity and benefit from higher-value coffee markets. 

Founded in 2019 by a group of coffee producers from the regions of Cajamarca and Amazonas, Cooperativa Agraria El Sol del Norte (“El Sol del Norte”) was created to address these challenges through a farmer-owned and farmer-led model. Today, El Sol del Norte brings together over two hundred producers around a shared vision: strengthening smallholder livelihoods through improved coffee production, market access, and sustainable agricultural practices. 

At the heart of El Sol del Norte’s work is its commitment to helping farmers run their plots as resilient agricultural businesses. The cooperative provides technical assistance throughout the coffee production cycle, helping producers improve farm management, adopt sustainable growing practices, and meet internationally recognized certification standards. By combining on-farm support with collective commercialisation, El Sol del Norte enables producers to access specialty and export markets that would otherwise be difficult to reach individually. 

Since its founding, the cooperative has grown from 60 to 234 members and established relationships with various international coffee buyers seeking high-quality and sustainably produced coffee. Its producers participate in certification schemes including Organic, Fair Trade, and C.A.F.E. (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices, creating opportunities to reach premium markets while promoting responsible agricultural practices. 

NESsT Investment

NESsT is supporting Cooperativa Sol del Norte to strengthen its role providing market access and economic opportunity for small-scale coffee farmers. Through working capital financing and tailored business support, NESsT is helping the cooperative increase coffee purchases from member producers, strengthen its financial management systems, and expand access to specialty and export markets.

In addition to financing, NESsT provides technical assistance focused on financial planning, operational efficiency, and commercial development. This support is helping Sol del Norte build a more resilient and sustainable business that generates greater benefits for coffee-producing families across northern Peru.