Colombia

The Fondo Paez Cooperative of Colombia consists of 550 producers. The Paez (who also call themselves Nasa, or "the people") is the largest indigenous group in Colombia. Their land is in the Cordillera Central, or central range of the Andes. Fondo Paez was founded in 1992, with the primary goal of recuperating traditional agricultural knowledge and indigenous culture, which had been buried by centuries of conflict and oppression. The main cash crop of this region is still coffee, and to ensure a stable income for their members, Fondo Paez organized community based coffee cooperatives. The cooperative now includes 550 producers.

The organization provides technical assistance for quality control and organic production to its cooperative members. The cooperative retains ownership of the coffee until it reaches the port. The coffee farmers are equal owners in the organization and receive not only the social benefits provided by Fondo Paez, but also retain a much higher percentage of coffee profits.

Fondo Paez is completely committed to the self-sufficiency of their people and have a holistic approach to farming. This is most evident on their farms. Coffee is only one of many crops that are incorporated into a diverse agro-forestry system. Food crops for their own consumption, feed crops for the farm animals, and nitrogen fixing plants for the soil are given equal importance to their cash crops: coffee, sisal, beans, and different tropical fruits.