El Quinacho
Committee delegates and Laura Bechard of Equal Exchange in front of El Quinacho offices.
Co-op Name: El Quinacho
Location: Peru
Number of Producers: 329
Average Farm Size: 3 hectares
Total Area Under Organic Production: 521 hectares
Founded: 1970
Source For: Non single-origin chocolate bars and minis, baking cocoa, hot cocoas
Interesting Fact: El Quinacho Co-operative is named after a strong and sturdy wood.
Full Profile: El Quinacho is a shining example for community collaboration. Even after a decade long of regional violence and terrorism, the co-operative spirit continues to thrive. El Quinacho first started their co-operative around bananas, coffee, and a small general store in 1970, but now the co-op specializes in organic and specialty cacao. In addition to member benefits like fertilizers, tools, and healthcare, the co-op invests its Fair Trade premiums in community oriented projects. El Quinacho even used funds to purchase machines to help construct roads. These roads provide better market access for members transporting their cacao, while also ultimately benefiting the greater community. Recently, El Quinacho installed a cacao flavor lab which helps them identify the quality of their cacao before it is shipped to buyers.
