De un vistazo
Ubicación: Junín, Perú
Impact Areas: Sustainable Income, Climate and Environment
People Supported:
Indigenous Communities, Women, Young People
Se unió a NESsT Portafolio :
2024
Visión general
Founded in 2019, Cooperativa Agraria Indígena Ashaninka y Nomatsigenga Asi Omagaro-Kanuja (“Kanuja”) is an Indigenous cooperative comprised of over 300 producers from the Ashaninka and Nomatsigenga communities in the Pangoa Valley of Peru. The cooperative was established to eliminate intermediary exploitation and ensure fair prices for coffee and cacao growers. As the commercial arm of the larger Organization Kanuja—representing 57 communities—Kanuja plays a vital role in the region’s economic development through sustainable agriculture and community-based business.
Kanuja currently sells pergamino – green coffee beans – dried cacao beans, artisan chocolate, and roasted coffee. The cooperative also operates a community bakery.
The cooperative’s social initiatives focus on working with Indigenous producers, hiring women and initiating women-led operations, and employing young Indigenous professionals. Kanuja also focuses on its environmental impact, including developing wastewater filtration and natural weed management systems, as well as seeking organic certification.
Resultados e impacto
329
hectares of cacao and coffee under sustainable and organic practices
50%
women producers by 2026
20
young Indigenous professionals trained and employed
“Our impact lies in sustainable change led by Indigenous communities. With support from NESsT, we’ve developed a system to better manage income, expenses, and sales of our coffee and cacao. Working capital helps us reach new markets, and we’re acquiring machinery and Fair Trade certification to access better opportunities. Together with NESsT, we’re building value through digital marketing and technical skills to reach new markets. We’re also implementing financial training for our communities, which is an essential foundation for true sustainability, as changing mindsets is key to managing resources effectively.”
NESsT Inversión
NESsT is supporting Kanuja to transition its operations to a more formalized approach, while laying the groundwork for export readiness and financial sustainability. With NESsT’s financial support, Kanuja is projected to build toward larger contracts and independence from donor-funded payrolls.
With working capital from NESsT, Kanuja will continue purchasing cacao and coffee from Indigenous producers to fulfill client orders and build a formal credit history. In addition to working capital, NESsT has supported Kanuja with a financial education program to members from two Indigenous communities, intended to build community capacity for economic participation and foster producer loyalty.