Partnership with Otraparte Coffee - Paramillo

Main Facts About the Partnership 

Overview of the Partnership

COOPEMPRENDER is a cooperative of ex-combatants that has been supported by PASO Colombia since 2018, through the Rural Alternative School (ERA) of Ituango, Antioquia. The Ituango ERA operates in the Territorial Area of Training and Reincorporation (ETCR) established in this municipality. Under the brand Paramillo, ex-combatants market the coffee that they grow in the ETCR, as well as the coffee that they buy from other growers in the region. The coffee is purchased at fair prices, using a solidarity economy approach.

PASO Colombia helped broker an agreement between the COOEMPRENDER cooperative and the Fernando González Corporation that operates the Otraparte House Museum, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the work of philosopher, Fernando Gonzales. Previously, the corporation had bought Café Paramillo in small amounts. They decided to formalize the partnership as a means of supporting reconciliation and recognizing that there was a market for an organic and high-quality coffee. Café Paramillo has received international awards for its medium low roasting level and its robust flavor, which includes hints of caramel, honey, chocolate, and red berries.

To ensure the production, this partnership has the support of the Cooperative CONFIAR, who will provide administrative and financial support to COOEMPRENDER, and of Café Lavaive, who will toast and process the coffee beans.