La FEM is not simply a coffee growing cooperative. Founded in 1996, they organized to work on issues of domestic violence against women, women's health, education, and job training. When we met them we were immediately impressed with their level of organization and their dedication to women's rights as a political and social imperative.

They are currently working on several projects, including an alternative school in Condega for young women to learn carpentry, construction, welding, etc. The idea is to allow them independence from men in building and maintaining their houses. It also gives them employment opportunities, although this is tougher because men dominate those fields.

La Fem has about 132 coops organized under their umbrella organization. The FEM co-ops also still have growers whose plants are transitional organic.

The producers from La Fem wanted to know that Coop Coffees is interested in a deeper partnership that would build connections between our communities and the women of La FEM, and that we market their coffee in sucha a way that people know who they are and what they represent, not simply that they grow “Nicaraguan Fair Trade Coffee”.