Cooperative Without Borders
International (CSF)

CSF currently consolidates 21 members from 11 countries that represent a total of 12,661 families. Sixteen members are cooperatives or rural farmers’ associations, where the main products are coffee, cocoa, sugar, honey, fruits, nuts and guarana. Two members are non-governmental associations providing technical support, two members are business partners  and one member is a cooperative financial consortium.

Growers’ Organizations	Country	Main Product	Growers (families)
COSAR	Argentina	Honey	118
NORTE GRANDE	Argentina	Honey	101
COOPERAGREPA	Brasil	Guarana, sugar, Brazil nuts	318
ECOCITRUS	Brasil	Oranges and tangerines (fresh and juices)	60
APPTA	Costa Rica	Cocoa beans, bananas	1.067
ASOPRODULCE	Costa Rica	Whole raw sugar	84
COOPECAÑERA	Costa Rica	White cane sugar	600
LA ALIANZA	Costa Rica	Coffee	250
APRAINORES	El Salvador	Cashew nuts	100
COOPIASURO	Guatemala	Honey	160
CONAPI and Alce Nero	Italia	Honey, pastas, rice, oil	300
Coop Lavoro e nonsolo	Italia	Pasta	Incl. en Conapi
Coop Placido Rizoto	Italia	Pasta, wine	Incl. en Conapi
PRODECOOP	Nicaragua	Coffee	2.318
COCABO	Panama	Cocoa beans	522
CEPICAFE	Perú	Whole raw sugar, coffee	6.663
Total productores			12.661
No productores
ETIMOS	Italia	Financial Support
CEDECO	Costa Rica	Technical Support
Centro Ecológico	Brasil	Technical Support
Coop La Siembra	Canada	Business Partner (12)
Coop Ethiquable	Francia	Business Partner (35)

Cooperatives and growers’ associations that share and approve CSF’s objectives and principles can be members. All growers must be organic or at least in transition.

In addition to growers’ organizations CSF is open to other organizations. CSF is particularly open to receiving contributions on the part of private individuals, NGO’s, associations, public administrations, universities, consumer organizations, and financial institutions, foundations that agree to collaborate, promote, and cooperate with projects to be carried out in any part of the world, whose main objective is promoting the forms of cooperative enterprise indicated in CSF’s objectives.

However, the producer organizations will always be the majority of the CSF members.


The organizations that wish to join CSF must comply, as a minimum, with the following principles:  

• To achieve best food quality which comes from a biodiversified agriculture, is free from any foreign elements, and that contributes to maintain the culture linked to the consumption of these foods, according to the principles of Slow Food.
• The products must be produced according to the principles of organic agriculture and/or agroecology, in harmonie with the environment and existing natural conditions that promote biodiversity. 
• To favor the collective organisation, either cooperative or associative, as a form of democratic, solidar, participative and efficient organization, that also promotes grower protagonism. 
• Grower organizations must orient their activity and structure according to the principles established by Fairtrade, being able to match the FLO standards. 
• To adopt the aforementioned principles, even though the interested parties are not growers’ organizations, and be willing to collaborate, promote, and cooperate with projects whose main objective is the promotion of cooperative forms of enterprise, as established in the objectives. 

An application must be presented informally, but in writing, to the Board of Directors, who will decide if they accept or not.



All those organizations or marketing enterprises that join CSF on a circumstantial basis or for a longer term to market products, collaborate, promote, and cooperate with projects whose main objective is to promote cooperative forms of enterprise, as established in the objectives.

In a process of growing cooperation and mutual knowledge, it would be ideal if, over the short or medium term, these organizations or marketing enterprises would become members of CSF, when both parts consider it convenient or necessary.

© sin fronteras coop