Andes, Colombia – December 21, 2025 – A renewed partnership between the Colombian national government and the Coffee Growers Cooperative of the Municipality of Andes (Cooperandes) is injecting vital support into the region’s coffee industry, promising stability for over a thousand families and a boost to the solidarity economy.
A Lifeline for Colombian Coffee Farmers
The collaboration aims to revitalize a key cooperative and secure the future of coffee production in southwest Antioquia.
- Cooperandes, with over six decades of experience, supports 3,907 associates across six municipalities.
- The reactivation will benefit approximately 1,300 coffee-growing families, with 73% being small producers.
- Government support focuses on production, collection, marketing, and access to credit and agricultural inputs.
- Officials emphasize the importance of cooperativism and agrarian reform for a sustainable coffee sector.
For generations, Cooperandes has been a cornerstone of the coffee-growing communities in Andes, Betania, Ciudad Bolívar, Jardín, Hispania, and Carmen de Atrato – a region renowned for its high-quality coffee. The cooperative’s revival guarantees conditions for production, collection, and marketing for roughly 1,300 coffee-growing families, with a significant 73% comprised of small producers.
“This support makes it possible to stabilize income, reduce dependence on intermediaries and ensure the permanence of coffee growing as the main economic activity of the territory,” officials stated.
Over the years, Cooperandes has distinguished itself by offering small and medium-sized producers access to best prices, accessible credit, essential agricultural inputs, and vital social programs, becoming a national benchmark for the cooperative model.
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During the recent event, the Minister of Agriculture, Martha Carvajalino, underscored that cooperativism and peasant and coffee-growing organization are central to advancing agrarian reform and consolidating peasant, family, and community agriculture as a transformative force in the countryside. She highlighted the cultural and productive value of coffee, stating, “The history of coffee is the history of Colombia.”
Voices from the Coffee Communities
Martha Osorio, an associate of Cooperandes, celebrated the recovery process and the support of the State, expressing that it restores confidence to those who depend on coffee and allows them to confidently affirm that “coffee farming flourishes in this region” after years of institutional uncertainty.
The Minister of Finance, Germán Ávila Plazas, affirmed the Government of President Gustavo Petro’s unwavering support for the recovery of an organization representing the interests of coffee growers, farmers, and merchants in southwest Antioquia, citing its significant economic and social impact.
María José Navarro, the Superintendent of Solidarity Economy, emphasized that this process reflects a shift in state supervision policy, prioritizing the rescue and sustainability of cooperatives over liquidation and focusing on their governance.
At its peak, Cooperandes was the largest employer in the municipality of Andes, providing more than 300 direct jobs and 500 indirect jobs. The cooperative also functioned as a coffee price regulator, preventing exploitative practices and benefiting producers even outside its membership.
The recovery of Cooperandes reaffirms the State’s role in protecting the peasant economy, strengthening the coffee sector, and promoting a rural development model founded on solidarity, production, and social justice.
