Candela Peru Artisan Story

Candela Peru is an alternative bio-trade organization which began acting as a fair trade business in the brazil nut industry in 1989 in order to improve circumstances for this region of Peru.

Candela Peru, an acronym for "Comercio Alternativo de Productos No Tradicionales y Desarrollo para Latino América" (in English: Alternative Trade of Non Traditional Products and Development for Latin America), works with 266 Peruvian farmers in this part of the Amazon rainforest to harvest the Brazil nut in a socially and environmentally-responsible manner.

Besides creating steady work for rural families, the company helps small producers streamline their production chains for increased capacity and helps them to implement social and environmental projects in their area. In this way, Candela Peru helps improve farmers way of living and promotes forest conservation in a biologically diverse region.

Candela Peru developed an Organic Certification program in 2001 to include Peruvian Brazil nuts in the growing organic market, and works with local producers to obtain their organic certification. The company also hosts classes in forest management to educate farmers on how sustainable forestry practices can offer financial reward.