Solstice

Celebrating Maria Rocio Motato Suárez
For more than 30 years, Rocio has worked as a Coordinator of Organic Coffee, and has been an advocate for small farmers in Caldas, Colombia. As she retires, this is a tribute to her contribution to the greater small farmer movement.

As one of the initial members of the pioneering farmer association Asprocafe, Ingruma, she was a powerful force in advancing organic agriculture. Despite many obstacles, she helped develop the group's organic coffee program through a variety of projects and collaborations — within the community and with Equal Exchange. She is one of the architects of el Dia del Campo, an annual event that brings together coffee farmers in their communities for training, education and community building.

As an indigenous woman, Rocio comes from a farming family and today she still runs the farm she grew up on. She is a grass roots activist at heart, often out in the field working with farmers.

Rocio has a quiet yet strong presence that makes her an inspirational leader. Through countless close relationships with farmers and their families, her work has influenced farming practices, improved coffee quality and advanced the true values of fair trade and organic farming. Her legacy of community development and inclusion have helped to create a path for women and youth in the organization.

Rocio is always thinking about others. When we asked her to reflect with us about her work, she was sure to include examples of strong women that she admires as part of her own narrative, like the co-coordinator of the organic program Luz Marina, and her friend Lucia Banol, for saving indigenous seeds and creating a seed bank. She is proud of her colleagues and believes they have contributed to her success as a woman in Colombia.

It is an honor to count Rocio among our friends and collaborators and we thank her for her many valuable contributions and years of friendship.

Photo: Rocio, Coordinator of ASPROCAFE Ingruma Co-op in Colombia together with Equal Exchange Quality Control Manager Beth Ann Casperse.