THE FARM MANAGER

MARÍA ARACELI REYES, 42, WORKS FOR THE CAFEMOR
COOPERATIVE IN EL SALVADOR, SUPPLIER OF
FAIRTRADE COFFEE TO NESCAFÉ PARTNERS BLEND.

“I’m only one of six women in the Cafemor Cooperative. My grandfather Bernabé Domínguez was president of the Association but he died in 1991, a victim of the 12 year Civil War which ended in 1992.

It was a terrible period, and we had to flee twice from the area and had to abandon our farm and land. We lived for a long while in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, where we sold vegetables in the street to earn money to support the family.

In 1993 I married Jaime Elias Nolasco, a forestry technician. We have two children: Jaime Edilberto is 11 and Elias Esau is 6.

We returned to Morazan when my mother offered to pay me to come and clean and look after her farm. I hired three men for the labour and I managed them like a true farm owner.

The experts from the project who were working with our Cooperative gave us advice on modern farming tips to help us improve our land and the quality of our coffee.

They also gave us an agricultural package including fertiliser which was really important, as most of us couldn’t afford to buy the fertiliser. Since the Cooperative received the Fairtrade certification, things are improving as we’re guaranteed a fair price for our coffee.

The Cooperative also gives us extra money per quintal of coffee (a local measure equivalent to 48kg) to invest in social work.

We formed the cooperative to see how we could move things forwards together. The experts helped us to organise ourselves and find other alternatives to survive such as chicken farms and growing fruit trees in the farms which provide us with an alternative source of income.

I now have 100 chickens on my farm and orange, lemon, avocado and mango trees that should be ready for harvesting in about a year or so. Today you see us smiling, but five years ago we were desperate.

We didn’t believe we’d be able to continue working on the farms, but necessity united us and the experts have helped us to help ourselves. In unity there’s strength.

These days, we are also able to help the schools and health units in the communities. We’ve already been able to give school equipment and rucksacks to 250 students, from the poorest families in the region. There is still lots to do as there are still children who receive their lessons beneath a tree. My motto is to serve and help. Today I’m so happy because I feel we are moving in the right direction.”