a. Structure of COOPAC

COOPAC is structured as follows :

• Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of Members (AGM) is the supreme body. It includes all members and powers of all procedures derive from it. It meets in regular meetings twice a year in respect of its statutes and own rules.

Given its structure, each primary cooperative also has its own general meeting of members.

• Board of Directors.

COOPAC is managed by a board whose members are elected by the ordinary Annual General Meeting of Members. The office of the Board of Directors includes a president, a vice - president, a secretary and six members - the six presidents from Boards of Directors of primary cooperatives.

• Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board consists of two members elected by the Annual General Meeting of Members for a year mandate in compliance with the Constitution of COOPAC and the Law governing cooperative societies in Rwanda.

• Management

The management is conducted by the current President of the Board of Directors elected by the Annual General Meeting of Members. The management takes care all daily operations of COOPAC.

• Primary Cooperatives

Each primary cooperative has an annual meeting of all members of the cooperative who make all decisions at the root.

The annual meeting of each primary cooperative elects a supervisor who is responsible for auditing the activities of its cooperative. He/she is also the representative to the Annual General Meeting of COOPAC. In addition, each primary cooperative also includes other committees : that is to say the board and the supervisory board.

b. COOPAC and Commerce Equitable Max Havelaar (Fair Trade)

Buyers’ long-term commitment and pre-financing enable COOPAC and small producers to fight more effectively against the phenomenon of usury.

• Promoting the role of women

In Gisenyi area, 10% of plantation owners are women. Often widowed, they must meet the needs of large families (between 4 and 8 children per woman).

COOPAC encourages women to organize themselves in associations for producing « women’s coffee » and « Agaseke » baskets. It helps these associations in exporting and selling their coffees and their baskets. These are exported to the United States.

Four women's associations are registered to date within COOPAC namely :

• ABAKUNDAMURIMA (Kivumu)
• TUZAMURANE (Kivumu)
• ABANYAMURAVA (Mushonyi)
• KOTWIBAKABO (Boneza)
  
• Farm Maintenance and Quality Improvement

COOPAC gives small coffee producers the taste to look at various ways for improving coffee quality and production quantities because they know that price they derive from is fair.

With the assistance of the project of ICRAF - ACDI / VOCA COOPAC oversees the small producers in the promotion and cultivation of shade trees in coffee plantations.

COOPAC is undergoing conversion to the production of organic coffee. It oversees small coffee producers in the production of organic fertilizers. Financial support from BTC has just propelled COOPAC in this prospect.

• Increasing Income

This is due to Fairtrade premiums. Their better distribution throughout the year allows small producers to meet better their needs and of their families throughout the year.

• Environment Impact

Coffee tree plays an important role in soil conservation and fight against erosion. The maintenance of plantations has beneficial effects on the environment in the region.

• Political Impact

For a long time at the State’s supervision (before 1994, Rwandex was managing 49 % of the local coffee market, the rest was held by foreign capital), the production of coffee is now much open to local and private initiatives. The case of COOPAC arouses the interest of many public decision-makers and makes the Government considers the needs and potentialities of the production of Rwanda coffee. This change may also a positive impact on the whole community in the region by sensitizing public authorities to resolve some issues in priority and urgent way (financing road infrastructures).