Marilú Rivera, a coffee producer in Loja Province, Ecuador, is working with her local association PROCAFEQ to increase her income and restore the land on which she depends, according to an April 21 report. Rivera is part of the FAPECAFES network, which brings together about 1,800 families from six groups of coffee farmers to improve the quality of their coffee and secure better prices.
This collaborative approach comes as smallholder farmers in southern Ecuador face challenges such as rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and crop disease. These factors have made it difficult for them to maintain steady harvests and reliable incomes. By joining forces through farmer-run organizations like PROCAFEQ and adopting more intentional farming practices such as agroforestry—where coffee grows beneath fruit trees that protect soil—farmers are finding ways to adapt.
Rivera said that learning new techniques has changed how she manages her farm: “With better soil, we have a better crop. We’re just persevering the little left of our planet.” She explained that previously they did not know much about plant care but now focus on processes that help both crops and environment. Her association provides training developed with Heifer International and local partners; these trainings cover fertilizer use, plant care, harvest timing, and soil management.
Victor Yanangomez, president of FAPECAFES, said: “Now we are the ones as an organization to set the price. And now the middleman waits for us.” This shift has led some farmers who once earned around $200 per bag of coffee to earn up to $1,000 by improving quality and selling collectively.
Rivera’s efforts include using organic fertilizers like compost along with natural microorganisms for healthier soils—a method aligned with agroforestry approaches recognized by organizations such as the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization for storing carbon and helping farms withstand climate shocks.
The Heifer Ranch Center for Regenerative Agriculture contributes tools for small-scale farmers seeking resilient operations according to its official website. The center features a 1,200-acre campus used both as a working ranch and experimental area with livestock zones, bee habitats, soil ecosystems for education purposes according to its official website. As an initiative within Heifer USA at Heifer International according to its official website, it serves as a living laboratory where hands-on learning sessions are offered onsite or virtually worldwide according to its official website. Its mission includes assisting small-scale producers in adopting regenerative practices that restore soils while boosting biodiversity according to its official website.
Rivera’s daughter Dana sees positive changes firsthand: “I think the coffee growing process … has improved because my mom is part of the association,” she said. Today Marilú Rivera’s work supports not only her family but also helps connect other farmers with markets while protecting their shared environment.
