San Vicente Yerba Mate Cooperative Votes to Admit 23 New Member Farms

The Río Verde Cooperative, based in San Vicente's agricultural quarter, voted unanimously on Saturday to admit 23 new member farms from across the interior departments. The expansion represents the largest cohort since 2021 and comes as global demand for certified organic yerba mate continues to outpace supply. The cooperative's membership now stands at 187 farms, collectively managing 4,100 hectares.

The new members represent a cross-section of Tierra Verde's smallholder landscape: some are family operations expanding from coffee into diversified crops; others are younger farmers returning to land their parents had abandoned during the lean years. All meet the cooperative's certification standards for soil stewardship and water management. The vote took place during the Cooperative Council's monthly assembly, held in the open-sided hall behind the grain silo on Calle Esperanza.

What drove the expansion, and what challenges lie ahead for farms still waiting in the admission queue? The Herald spoke with the Cooperative Council's chair and visited three of the newly admitted farms to understand the mechanics of growth in Tierra Verde's organic sector.