As Café Campesino celebrates 27 years of cooperative coffee partnerships, CEO Tripp Pomeroy prepares for a special journey to CAC Pangoa in Peru. With nearly two decades of friendship, learning, and shared mission, his upcoming visit marks an opportunity to reconnect, reflect, and celebrate the co-op’s 48th anniversary. We sat down with Tripp to hear more about the trip and what he hopes to bring back for the Café Campesino community.
1. A Longstanding Relationship with CAC Pangoa
You’ve traveled to visit many coffee cooperatives over the years. What makes this upcoming trip to Pangoa in Peru feel special or significant to you?
“I’m going to be going to CAC Pangoa in the central Amazon of Peru. I’ve been there a few times, and conversely, the former director who still works with the co-op, Esperanza Castillo, an agricultural engineer, I believe, has visited us in Americus, Georgia along with other managers from the co-op. We have (myself and our co-op) had a long, deep 20-year relationship with CAC Pangoa.
CAC Pangoa is where, in my first visit, maybe 15 or 18 years ago, I saw the potential of a really well-run co-op. All the support programs Pangoa offered to its members, as well as the brilliant management of a co-op comprised of several hundred members, left a really big mark on me.
Plus the friendship over the years with Esperanza, Miguel Quispe (who is the new manager), and a lot of the other folks who we’ve known. So there’s friendship, there’s a longstanding trading relationship, and there’s learning from them.
What makes this visit so special is that we (myself and Vinnie Fiorello, our social media lead) are going to be able to join them in the celebration of their 48th anniversary.
The day before we’ll get there is their Platos Típicos competition, so we’ll also be able to taste the best of Pangoa and San Martín. Then we’ll spend a couple of days visiting with other members of the co-op.
The timing this year is brilliant because Esperanza, and I believe Miguel, the co-op’s director, are going to be attending the Coop Coffees annual meeting virtually. Esperanza is scheduled speak on Saturday morning to open up the co-op, and to share a little bit about Pangoa’s 48 years, as well as the importance of the cooperative movement and our cooperative trading relationship.
So it’s really an exciting time.”
2. Resilience Through Crisis
Pangoa has an incredible history of resilience, surviving political turmoil and rebuilding stronger than before. How does that legacy shape your admiration for the co-op and its members?
“Shining Path, the militant movement, was highly active in the region where CAC Pangoa is located. My knowledge is not deep, but from visiting some of their eco-projects and visiting farmers out in the mountains, I heard about the brutality and the violence they endured (firsthand impact, family members lost, murdered) as part of Shining Path’s presence and the conflict.
And despite all of that, I think that legacy shapes my admiration for them. And it’s a lesson to all of us. Despite being within that kind of environment, they managed to emerge as a cohesive, really well-run co-op that respects human dignity and all the possibilities of working together.
It’s a reminder to us here in the United States and to our co-op: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We’re better together.
A lot of people have had it harder than us. Pangoa, like many of our trading partners – Fondo Paez (Colombia), Nicaragua, and (Mexico) Chiapas – have similar legacies of existing in conflict zones. So we admire them for their resilience and maintaining their dignity and humanity.”
3. A Message for Our Customers
Café Campesino customers often ask where their coffee comes from. What story do you hope to bring back from Peru Pangoa that they can feel a part of?
“I think the story is going to be, in a sense, an affirmation of the fact that, 20-plus years on, the co-op movement is alive and well. The commitment to fair, direct, and transparent trading relationships and practices, and environmental sustainability, has never been stronger.
I hope to bring back a message from the front lines that our business model matters, our commitment to fair trade, organic practices matters, and that climate change continues to be a real challenge.
The co-op, and the associated business model and practices, is maybe one of the best ways for small-scale farmers to work together to adapt to the complexity and harshness of climate change.
So I hope to bring back more clarity on that too.”
4. Social Programs Worth Watching
Pangoa’s commitment to social investment, from women’s health programs to educational support, is truly inspiring. Are there any specific initiatives you’re planning to see firsthand on this visit?
“I’m curious to see if they still have the retirement program. It was one of the most brilliant initiatives I’ve seen: planting indigenous trees for shade-grown coffee that could also be harvested for income when farmers retire. It addressed the issue of aging out of coffee farming in a really forward-thinking way.
I’m curious if that’s still in effect, and if it is, great. And if not, what else? How are they dealing with the aging-out among coffee farmers?
It’s an industry-wide issue, but we’re also seeing signs that there may be a renewed interest in coffee farming happening in pockets among young people.”
5. Learning from 48 Years of Impact
What do you hope this visit will deepen, not just for you personally, but for the ongoing partnership between Café Campesino and the Pangoa farmers?
“Our co-op is in its 25th year, but co-ops have life cycles. I’ve said this for a long time: we have a lot to learn from our trading partners, and Pangoa is one shining example: a co-op of several hundred farmers in the central Amazon, former Shining Path, and they’ve been around for 48 years. They’re vibrant and dynamic and produce beautiful coffee.
So coming back, I think bringing back practical and inspirational insights from the folks at Pangoa, the leadership and the farmers, and understanding how they’ve made it work for all these years.”
Learn more about CAC Pangoa and their incredible history of resilience and innovation here:
