About This Coffee
Soppexcca was born out of crisis. In 1997, a cooperative in Jinotega collapsed under a debt of over USD 800,000, leaving producers and buyers without recourse. From that wreckage, Soppexcca was formed, and in 1999 Fatima Ismael, an agronomist with a clear vision, was brought in to lead. With no office, no resources and very little recognition in the industry, she negotiated a 25-year repayment plan and repaid the debt in six years. The cooperative later transitioned from a private company to a Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, a model that gave every member a fair share, a voice and shared ownership.
Today, Soppexcca has 386 producer members, 102 of whom hold Regenerative Organic Certification, making it one of the first cooperatives in Nicaragua to achieve this standard. Pursued to strengthen their land management program and sustainability practices at a holistic level, the certification reflects the cooperative's commitment to soil, forest, air, water and biodiversity. The women's Las Hermanas program, which now includes 135 women landowners producing coffee under their own brand, is one of the cooperative's most recognized achievements and a testament to the depth of their commitment to their members.
Cultivation
Soppexcca members farm small plots in Jinotega between 1,100 and 1,300 meters above sea level. The Regenerative Organic Certification shapes how the cooperative approaches every aspect of production, from soil health and forest protection to air, water and biodiversity. Soppexcca maintains strict environmental standards across its membership, including a prohibition on glyphosate use, and prioritizes traceability and zero deforestation as core operating principles.
Water management is a particular area of focus, with active programs to protect and reforest water sources, reduce water use at the farm and household level and treat wastewater from coffee processing responsibly. The cooperative also supports generational renewal, offering entrepreneurship funds for members' daughters to start small businesses and build income sources beyond coffee.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cherry is selectively handpicked at peak ripeness by Soppexcca members. After picking, coffee is fully washed and carefully dried using a combination of concrete patios, plastic tarps and solar dryers to ensure optimal and consistent moisture reduction across the lot.
Sustainable Harvest
Sustainable Harvest® is a specialty coffee trader focusing primarily on bringing coffees to market that are sourced from smallholder farmer cooperatives in the supply chain such as indigenous communities, women groups and the next generation of coffee farmers.
Their sourcing model is built on transparency, traceability and direct relationships between quality-minded coffee roasters and best-in-class coffee producers. Sustainable Harvest® has an on-site presence at origin with staff in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Peru. Each office coordinates their supply including quality management, supplier relationships, source development, logistics, training and capacity building.
Coffee in Nicaragua
Nicaragua may not be the most famous producer of Central American coffee, but it has great potential. The country is known as the land of ‘los lagos y los volcanes’ (lakes and volcanos) and has many coffee growing ‘pockets’ that few have heard of or experienced. Many producers in the country are experimenting with new varieties and processing methods, making it a specialty origin to watch.
Many coffee producers in Nicaragua today are buoyed by cooperatives that provide a wide array of services, supports and opportunity. As seen in the win of the ‘El Acuerdo de las Tunas’, where 3,000 landless workers won land rights, collective action by farmers can be far more effective at enacting widespread change than the advocacy of individual farmers.
Cooperatives and farmer associations in Nicaragua encompass a large percentage of the country’s coffee producers, and they are taking their destiny in their own hands. By putting great emphasis on quality and by aiming for the international specialty coffee industry, cooperatives and farmers associations are helping their members gain influence and import that will, hopefully, garner enough profit to enable farmers to continue to improve and invest in their farms and their families.
Large and medium-sized (10+ hectare) farms also hold a significant place in Nicaragua’s coffee landscape, as well. Many of these farms have also prioritized social and environmental issues and are working on quality improvements at both cultivation and post-harvest levels.
Farmers, for the most part, will process coffee on their own farms, and the majority of the time coffee is dried on large drying patios under sun.