ASOCACE (ACOZC)
Bernardo Ruiz Diaz
Co-op Name: ASOCACE (ACOZC)
Location: Paraguay
Number of Producers: 217
Average Farm Size: 6 hectares
Total Area Under Organic Production: 1,229 hectares
Founded: 2004
Source for: Chocolate bars and minis
Interesting Fact: The average age of producers is 50, which has the farming association concerned about future farmers. With fair trade premiums and contributing donations, ASOCACE has invested in a mechanical sugar harvester available to farmer members to use, to reduce manual labor for the aging farmers.
Full Profile: The Association of Organic Sugarcane Producers from the Central Zone (ASOCACE) is an association of sugar cane producers located in Guarambaré, Paraguay, about 22 miles outside of the capital city of Asunción. Formed in 2004 to improve the livelihoods of small-scale sugar producers in the community, the association has grown from 45 founding members to just over 200 members.
Before ASOCACE, producers sold sugar cane to various local mills as individuals, often at disadvantageous prices. Now, as an organized association, the farmers have more leverage. ASOCACE represents the interests of its members and negotiates prices with the mills, which means that farmers get better prices. ASOCACE is democratically governed by a Board of 15 representatives who are elected by fellow farmer-members to serve two-year terms. Producers mainly cultivate organic sugar, but also grow crops such as yucca, beans or sweet potatoes for their family or to sell to the local market.
Not only does the organization positively impact the livelihoods of its members, but it also supports the community at large. ASOCACE invests Fair Trade premiums into social and development programs such as purchasing tractors, providing technical assistance to members, purchasing school materials for farmers’ families, and supporting a medical and dental center that provides discounted services to association members and their families.
