Francisque Dubois, also known as "Papa café” among the people of Dondon, in northern Haiti, is one of two founding members of the coffee cooperative COOPACVOD, established in 1976 by 34 producers. Today the cooperative has 680 members and produces an organic coffee sold in Europe and North America.
“With bio certification, a pound of coffee sells for 3.5 US dollars. Before, our pound of coffee was selling for less than two US dollars. With this added value, the producers understand that they have to be more rigorous and professional in cultivating their coffee,” explains Francisque.
Located about 390 meters above sea level and protected from hurricanes and storms, the Dondon region has suitable weather conditions for coffee production. Given that the coffee must be grown in the shade, tree cutting is not the norm in the commune. During heavy rain, the water first hits the tree canopy before reaching the leaves of the coffee plants, which protects the soil from erosion.
With the support of UNDP’s micro-financing programme (MFP), funded in the amount of US$50,000 by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the cooperative was able to set up two ‘decentralized’ nurseries and strengthen its central nursery. These three nurseries have produced 200,000 coffee plants and 12,000 shade trees.
Mature seedlings are distributed to cooperative members who plant them following the practices necessary to produce an exportable organic coffee. With the support of the cooperative, farmers have access to more profitable markets and can sell their produce at competitive prices.