A coffee grower cooperative, made up of over 80 farmers, faced a challenge: in the coffee market, opportunities for selling raw products in bulk are severely limited. They needed the equipment and training to process and market their materials to be more competitive.

With a SPA grant, the cooperative was able to purchase an industrial coffee grinder, packaging, and digital accounting software. The matching community contribution - totaling over 25% of the total project cost - supported the transportation and installation of the machinery (relying on local labor to do so). Through SPA, the farmers also received training in marketing, sales, and branding, as well as financial management strategies.

This project helped the coffee cooperative scale up, providing a better product, more effective service, and an established brand - along with the skills needed to effectively market that brand.