Quality Beans

The following post was written by Shannon Devine, Quality Assurance Manager at La Siembra Co-operative, and summarizes COCABO's quality assurance process.

COCABO emphasizes that the quality of the beans produced by their farmers is just as important to them as the quantity produced. Before farmers can sell their beans to the co-op, they are put through a sieve to remove any foreign particles. A sample of beans is then pulled from the bags and evaluated by a quality technician. The technician will make sure that the beans do not show any signs of mold or insects, that they are properly fermented and dried and that they fall within a specified range for size, acidity, moisture, etc. If the beans do not fall within certain specifications they are rejected.

A percentage of farms are inspected on an annual basis by organic inspectors to ensure that producers are complying with organic standards. COCABO also has its own team of technicians who inspect every single farm on a yearly basis. Technicians show farmers how to improve the quality of their beans by teaching them various agricultural techniques from regular pruning of the forests to crop diversification and composting.

Not all farmers produce organic crops, therefore the prevention of cross-contamination from conventional crops is one of the main focuses of both the external and internal inspections. COCABO farmers are responsible for the fermentation and drying of their beans before they are sold. Giving producers this responsibility means that they have more ownership over their crops, which results in a higher quality product.