i Patrick W. Staib Anthropology This dissertation is approved, and it ...

Gonzalo explained, “El café del grupo de Danilo es de primera. No cuesta colocarlo en
el mercado especial. Ya tiene reconocimiento (Danilo’s group’s coffee is of the highest
quality. It’s not hard to place it in the specialty coffee market. It has a [good]
reputation).”
In contrast to the rest of the UCA farmers, Procaoc farmers received the total
amount the exporters and buyers had designated for pre-harvest financing. The UCA-San
Juan cooperative received and distributed the pre-harvest funds for its other members.
They also charged a processing fee and imposed a high interest rate of 18%. Procaoc
negotiated a 16% interest rate, and Danilo did not apply an additional service fee.
During the low-season of 2005, in May through September, Danilo and I traveled
through the member communities of his Procaoc group to update farmers on the status of
their adelantos. Danilo felt it was important to keep in touch with the leaders of his
member groups within Procaoc. On a visit to Las Nubes, a co-op member group across
the valley, Danilo explained as he rode with me in the Jeep,
Los productores se preocupan. Si nadie le llega para confirmar que habrá venta
este año y ya podemos asegurar el adelanto, son capaces de desviar el café. Yo
hice esta cooperativa a base de la comunicación personal. Ven que se hace el
esfuero para el bienester de todos. Esa confianza es importante para mantener
buenas relaciones, buenos productores, y una buena calidad de café. (Farmers
worry. If nobody comes by to confirm the sales for the year and that we can be
sure of advances, they might sell their coffee elsewhere. I formed this cooperative
based on personal communication. They see the effort made for the well-being of
the group. That trust is important to maintain good relations, good farmers, and
good quality coffee.)
The week following those visits, Danilo had to arrange for all of the group leaders
to travel to Ocotal with the cédulas (ID cards) of each of their members to solicit loans.
All seven group leaders left on the early bus, departing San Juan for Palacagüina at 4 a.m.
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