Cooxupé launches its own sustainability protocol

The Regional Cooperative of Coffee Growers in Guaxupé (Cooxupé) presented its own sustainability protocol to the market and coffee consumers, called "Gerações". In 2022, the cooperative exported 5,6 million bags of green Arabica coffee to 50 countries.

The adoption of sustainable practices and the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) agenda are a reality at the cooperative, according to information distributed to the press. These measures aim to guarantee a better future for more than 18 thousand members and strengthen recognition of the quality and origin of the coffee produced in light of market and consumer demands. This work resulted in the creation of the Gerações Protocol, which establishes guidelines and levels so that the cooperative and its members are integrated into this new reality.

The protocol defines that the longevity and quality of coffee are linked to an economically sustainable production system, in harmony with the environment, producers, their families and employees. Cooxupé and its members have adopted best practices to ensure resilience and improve working conditions on properties.

The president of Cooxupé, Carlos Augusto Rodrigues de Melo, highlights that the majority of cooperative members represent family farming, which makes the challenge of integrating everyone into the inclusive program even greater. The objective is to benefit these producers, increasing their competitiveness in the market and producing coffee that meets the demands of the consumer of the future.

The Generations Protocol addresses the different realities and variations of each producer, taking into account factors such as production size and available resources. In order to guarantee transparency in processes, the protocol presents four different levels of sustainability.

"All of these levels encompass a set of requirements. In this way, members are encouraged to comply with the minimum sustainability commitments at Level 1, advancing to subsequent levels as they increase their engagement", explains the president.

The Gerações Protocol was developed in partnership with SCS Global Service, an organization with 40 years of experience in environmental certification, sustainability and food quality. Luiz Fernando dos Reis, commercial superintendent at Cooxupé, highlights that producers are aware and have welcomed the protocol model. It highlights the inclusivity, transparency and representativeness of the program, since cooperativism is at its essence. However, to achieve the other pillars of sustainability, it will be necessary to involve all links in the chain. In this sense, Cooxupé is optimistic about the collaboration of partners and other agents in the sector.