Impact study - sacaclí
Sacaclí: Empowering farmers through community and coffee
Founded in 1994 in Jinotega, northern Nicaragua, Sacaclí began with 31 members producing grains and beans, but with little access to agricultural inputs, consumer goods or finance. In 2008 they diversified into coffee production and currently have almost 500 members, including 87 coffee producers.
They are recognised for high-quality production while prioritising environmental protection, soil health, and community well-being. Being certified Organic, Fairtrade and Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) has enabled their members to earn a premium for their crop, increasing their financial return, and giving access to more specialist coffee markets.
Reflecting on their achievement, General Manager, Alex Cruz (pictured below) commented:
“At Sacaclí, we are very happy and satisfied with this difficult achievement. It reflects a different way of working. It positions us as an organisation that offers an environmentally friendly, high-quality product.”
In 2024, they gained their fourth certification, Con Manos de Mujer (English translation: ‘With the Hands of Women’). This label promotes gender equality and recognises the valuable work of women throughout the supply chain.
Sacaclí became a customer in 2018 when they received a Commercial Export Credit (COEC) facility to
pre-finance coffee contracts.
On the specific relationship, Alex commented;
“The relationship between Co-operative Sacaclí and Shared Interest has been fundamental for the development of our organisation. The line of credit we have with [Shared Interest] has contributed to improving our liquidity to face the coffee commercialisation process and energise this business centre of the co-operative. We feel very happy with this relationship with Shared Interest”.
Coffee is cultivated under strict environmental conditions to ensure quality and environmental protection. Over the past nine years, Sacaclí has increased its coffee production by 81%, a reflection of their improved capacity, membership growth and sustainable approach to agricultural production. They focus on sustainable development, the continuous improvement of members’ quality of life, and gender equality.
Member well-being is central to their business model and has played a fundamental role in their sustainable growth. Since 2020, they actively promoted women’s empowerment through the development of targeted projects, including a yoghurt production enterprise and commercial egg production.
In April 2025, the Foundation launched a project to support 40 women to grow cherry tomatoes and chilli peppers using semi-hydroponic methods which allows for year-round production, contributing towards increased economic resilience.
Jaime Martin Gutiérrez Montenegro, Horticultural Technical Advisor said:
“The co-operative is well known all around the region because its members are in a privileged position. It's the only organisation regionally that gives the services that these members have in credit. They have a shop they can buy farm equipment; they get technical assistance. And then socially the co-op supports schools, churches, sports teams.”
Pictured below (left to right): Alex Cruz, Sacaclí General Manager; Jaime Martin Gutiérrez Montenegro (left) with member Rafael Zeledon (right); Alba Luz Castro Ruiz.
My Story: Alba Luz Castro Ruiz, Coffee producer
Alba is a coffee producer living in the community of Los Cocos, Community el Venado. Alba joined Sacaclí in 2019 motivated by the opportunity to access better processes and to grow certified coffee.
Alba shared:
“The motivation was to be able to get a better price through Sacaclí for the coffee, and to be able to grow organic coffee. And the new certification of Con Manos de Mujer (With the Hands of Women) which is about to come into operation. The impact on women, it's to achieve more and learn more. This year I've had a really good crop and I've been able to sell my coffee in the special category.”
Alba has also benefited from Sacaclí’s credit and technical assistance programmes:
“Through the technical assistance I've learned a lot about coffee production, how to farm coffee. And the second big thing again is the credit. We've now got savings, which is something we're never able to have before, and we've now got security.”
Looking ahead, Alba remains committed to her coffee farm:
“My ambition is to carry on and to get better and to grow. I could possibly think about getting another piece of land further away, but that's tricky. I'd sooner stick with what I've got. It might be small, but to concentrate on improving what I've got.”
Sacaclí is committed to ongoing growth, learning and innovation to ensure it continues providing top-quality support to its members.
General Manager Alexander Cruz shared his current vision:
“My dream at the moment is to establish a dry processing plant for drying, selection, storage, and packing for export so that we can carry out this processing in-house. This will give us better oversight and improved quality control.”
The co-operative also aims to attract more women and young people to join supporting sustainable growth and strengthening the organisation’s future. Recognising the impacts of changing climate patterns on agriculture, they will continue to support producers in practising regenerative agriculture to secure the future of coffee cultivation in the region and leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.
See Appendix 13 for the full impact case study.