The goal is to strengthen the leadership capacities of female members and generate a culture of gender equality.

Prosperidad de Chirinos has done an excellent job assessing gender-based challenges and forming the activities of Cosecha de Mujer in a way that addresses those inequalities.  The program heavily focuses on skills training in leadership, farming, improving coffee quality and small-scale business management. Part of the program is also support on food farming for self-sufficiency. Surpluses can be sold in the market for additional income.

The name “Cosecha de Mujer”, which translates into “harvest of women”, highlights the hard work of female farmers on the farm and in the household with childcare, food preparation and more. There is a built-in-premium of $15 per 69kg bag that goes to supporting the Cosecha de Mujer program.

Cosecha de Mujer offers a wide range of programs and trainings for female members including financing, health projects, training and more. They offer leadership training courses for women and youth, a food and craft fair to encourage income diversification and have built 20 drying modules to help members produce high-quality coffees.

Prosperidad de Chirinos was founded in 1968. Today, they have 817 members, a full quarter of whom are women. In total, the cooperative cultivates about 2,200 hectares in San Ignacio, Cajamarca. The high altitudes of the mountainous San Ignacio region provide ideal conditions for cultivating high-quality coffees.

The cooperative has an extensive array of programs and opportunities for farming members. In addition to agronomic support and financing, farmers can learn sensory evaluation and how to diversify their incomes through other agricultural projects such as beekeeping and farming avocadoes. They also offer quality awards for outstanding coffees each year. Managers and farmer-leaders are given additional training in management skills, financial literacy and good governance.

There is also a youth committee that is focused on supporting and empowering young producers. A partnership with the National University of Jaén supports university education for 10 children of cooperative members each year.