San Vicente Cooperative Approves Thirty-Two New Member-Farms

The cooperative's general assembly voted yesterday to approve the final cohort of applicants, ending a review period that began in 2023 when the cooperative's board decided to slow admissions and strengthen vetting procedures. The new members—most farming coffee, yerba mate, and organic crops on plots of between two and eight hectares—will gain access to the cooperative's fair-price export scheme, federal subsidy applications, and collective storage facilities.

The vote came after months of site visits by the cooperative's agricultural committee, which examined soil quality, water access, pest-management practices, and each applicant's financial stability. The committee's final report, presented to the assembly on Monday, recommended approval for all thirty-two farms and flagged eight others as needing additional documentation before a second vote in November.

Cooperative leadership described the deliberate pace as essential to maintaining the integrity of the membership. "We cannot admit a farm simply because it asks," said Martín Flores, the cooperative's vice-chair for admissions, in remarks after the vote. "The scheme works because every member understands the standards that bind us."