Beyond coffee: driving resilience and equity with SOPPEXCCA

At the heart of Nicaragua’s coffee-growing highlands, SOPPEXCCA brings together 398 smallholder farmers under a shared model—one that turns individual producers into a collective force. It is female-led union of 16 cooperatives, under the long-standing leadership of General Manager Fátima Ismael, a driving force behind its inclusive approach.

Through the cooperative, farmers gain something they rarely have on their own: direct access to international markets. But SOPPEXCCA does more than sell coffee. It invests back into its members providing technical support, access to inputs, and infrastructure that helps protect quality, from wet mills to drying facilities.

The strength of the model lies in its combination of market access and practical support. Farmers are trained to meet quality and certification standards, reduce losses, and improve productivity. In turn, the cooperative secures more stable contracts and better prices, creating a system where both the farmer and the organisation grow stronger.

Just as important is who makes the decisions. SOPPEXCCA is owned by its members, and that ownership is visible in practice: 93% of farmers say their voices are heard and reflected in cooperative decisions. This sense of agency reinforces long-term commitment and shared responsibility.

Gender equality is not a side program, it is core to SOPPEXCCA’s model. The cooperative was among the first in Nicaragua to adopt a formal gender policy. It has actively worked to address one of the most fundamental barriers: women’s lack of land ownership. By encouraging joint or female land titles, women have increasingly become full cooperative members with access to services, finance, and markets.

This shift has reshaped both livelihoods and leadership. Today, 138 women are members, and many hold leadership roles within their cooperatives. Through the Las Hermanas (The Sisters) initiative, women’s coffee is marketed separately, capturing quality premiums and visibility in international markets. What started with 18 women has grown into a powerful platform for economic and social empowerment. Now, 135 women own land, run their farms, and produce coffee as part of Las Hermanas.

Climate change is no longer a distant risk, it is already reshaping coffee farming. In 2025, around 80% of farmers reported experiencing climate shocks, from erratic rainfall to increasing pest pressure, affecting yields and quality. SOPPEXCCA responds by embedding climate resilience into its core services: training on adaptive farming practices, promotion of agroforestry and reforestation, improved water management, and carbon footprint monitoring.

Rabo Foundation supports this agenda through targeted technical assistance, including support for farmer training, water harvesting projects, better drying infrastructure and climate adaptation practices. SOPPEXCCA also participates in Asómbrate, an initiative from Solidaridad and the Acorn platform, which supports farmers to implement agroforestry systems that aim to improve resilience while generating additional income through carbon markets. Rabo Foundation co-financed this initiative and ensured SOPPEXCCA could participate. Together, these interventions are intended to reduce vulnerability and help stabilise production, which is critical for sustaining both farmer incomes and cooperative viability.

Since 2019, Rabo Foundation has played a catalytic role in supporting SOPPEXCCA’s development, providing financing tailored to the cooperative’s growth stage. In 2025, this included a blended package of working capital, trade finance and technical assistance to support productivity and climate resilience.

This financing is essential in a context where local credit is scarce. It enables farmers to invest at the right moment in the coffee cycle, preventing yield losses and securing future income. Trade finance allows the cooperative to purchase coffee from members and fulfil export contracts, directly linking farmers to international markets.

Beyond capital, Rabo Foundation provides critical non-financial support. Through capacity building, it strengthens SOPPEXCCA’s governance and financial management, helping the cooperative remain a trusted and investable partner for global buyers. It also supports compliance with emerging regulations, such as EU deforestation requirements, ensuring farmers retain access to premium markets.