Nicaragua, Finca Los Positos

Nicaragua, Jinotega

Finca Los Positos is owned by Maria Estanislada Martinez. This 21.35-hectare farm is located near Palo Blanco, a small rural community in the department of Jinotega, in northern Nicaragua. It's situated in a region known for its lush landscapes and mountainous terrain. Life in the village tends to be simple, with strong ties between neighbors and a focus on traditional practices. Coffee cultivation at Los Positos is a family legacy passed down from generation to generation. Maria Estanislada grew up around coffee and learned from her parents all the effort and work that coffee production takes. Coffee at Los Positos is shade-grown and hand-picked. Wet milling and fermentation are done at the farm. The coffee is then sun-dried on African beds at the Aldea Coffee Processing Facility. 

Los Positos believes that respecting their workers' effort and dedication is fundamental to the success of the farm. Los Positos implements an eco-friendly system, integrating wood trees, citrus, bananas, and coffee. With a deep respect for the environment, the farm is committed to conserving vital natural resources, implementing sustainable practices, such as using an Eco-Mill, honey water treatment system, and maintaining a harmonious balance with local wildlife. Thanks to the income generated from coffee, the farm has significantly improved its kitchen and wet mill and built a house for the family. Maria Estanislada plans to pass her legacy to her two sons. 

To recognize and promote the work women do growing and producing coffee around the world, the Women Coffee Producers project was established to highlight organizations and associations of women producers in various countries. The program aims to address the widespread wage inequity that women experience by adding a gender-equity premium on top of a base price. The women producers in Nicaragua receive an additional premium that helps women to obtain legal land titles. In Jinotega, women own only 15% of the land – a key asset to access microcredit loans for production and other economic activities that permit a better quality of life. 

Jinotega is located in north-central Nicaragua in the central highlands. It is Nicaragua's second largest department and contains eight municipalities. The area is rugged but has fertile soil that is ideal for growing coffee and many other crops such as maize, potatoes, beans, and wheat. While Nicaragua has historically been planted with traditional varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, Maragogype, areas of relatively low altitude (800–900 masl), the remoteness of the small farms, and battles with coffee-leaf rust in the past decade have remained obstacles in the way of the country achieving clear, prized single-origin status. The largest country in Central America, Nicaragua, continues to develop its reputation as a coffee origin to watch. Coffee is still its most important export, accounting for over $1.2 billion in exports, and about 15 percent of the country’s labor force is somehow involved in the coffee sector.