Solcafe, beneficio for CECOCAFEN Fair Trade coffee cooperative

Measuring the humidity of the coffee beans. This is done to determine how much a farmer will get for the
coffee they bring in. A farmer's coffee is weighed and then the weight is adjusted to reflect the actual weight
that the coffee will be after it is dried to the desired level of humidity.

Coffee is dried on cement patios in the sun to reach the desired level of humidity

The coffee is tagged with the name of the farmer. The tags are used to keep track of how much each
farmer sells at which price (Fair Trade organic and non-organic,
non-Fair Trade organic and non-organic), and thus how much they will receive for their coffee.

These workers are covering up the beans for the night to retain heat and keep out moisture

A Worker carrying a bag of coffee beans to the warehouse to be sorted
These bags weigh 140 pounds. The workers sometimes carry two at a time.

Indoor coffee sorting room where workers sit in front of a conveyor belt of dry coffee and pick out any broken, damaged, or otherwise poor quality beans. The workers in the sorting room just got new ergonomic chairs thanks to a fundraising drive organized by Thanksgiving Coffee Company and we heard lots of great remarks about how much better the workers feel in the new chairs. The old chairs were wooden with wicker seats, not very comfortable or ergonomic for one who has to sit all day.

A worker bringing bags into the warehouse

Taking inventory?

Workers putting the good beans into bags for shipment

Our wonderful trip co-leader, Guillermo Perez Levia, with some wonderful coffee from Cecocafen's producers.

One of our trip participants, Heather, sorting beans with the workers

Simon and Paul, more trip participants, sorting coffee beans

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