Aldea Coffee
Aldea Coffee is a Nicaraguan specialty coffee cooperative exporting direct-trade, fully traceable coffees from 5,000 smallholder producers to international roasters via its 2022 industrial plant, while monetizing agroforestry-based carbon credits through the Scolel'te/Plan Vivo project.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersJinotega, Nicaragua
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Aldea Coffee does
Aldea Coffee S.A. is a Nicaraguan specialty coffee cooperative and exporter headquartered in Asturias, Jinotega, founded in 1992 by 22 small producers at Lake Apanás. The company sources from smallholder farmers — coordinated today through the affiliated Fundación Aldea and the Tierra Madre women's program supporting 5,000 producers — and exports specialty and certified coffees (Red Catuai, Honey, Colibrí Azúl, Olomega, single-estate and microlot offerings) to international specialty roasters under a Direct Trade model, marketing sustainability credentials including Rainforest Alliance, Organic, 4C, and the proprietary AldeaTRACE standard (EPS-EN-01.1 V3).
The company's industrial asset base is a USD 13.3M processing plant inaugurated in 2022 with 192,500-sack (69kg) annual capacity and 700-container throughput, equipped with PENAGOS wet processing, MEGA pre-drying, PINHALENSE drying, and CIMBRIA milling systems, plus 8 SIMAGA silos with humidity/temperature sensors at 2,000,000 lbs capacity each. Supporting technologies include a mobile traceability application (developed 2016) enabling farm-to-cup chain of custody and low-cost soil scanners delivering fertilization analysis in 10 minutes — addressing fertilization as over 60% of production cost. The proprietary AldeaTRACE standard covers environmental, social, and economic sustainability across the value chain and is reviewed every three years.
Revenue is generated through two primary streams: B2B coffee export sales to international specialty roasters (the dominant stream), and voluntary carbon credit sales via the Scolel'te/Plan Vivo project, which generates 63,000 tonnes of CO2 fixation across 9,000 mzs of agroforestry coffee and approximately US$976,500 in annual producer income at a US$20/tonne base price — credits are sold to organizations including the World Bank. Carbon base price is the only publicly disclosed pricing reference. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales targeting international specialty buyers, complemented by content marketing through the Noti Aldea blog and Market Update newsletters, and a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Aldea Coffee has no subsidiaries, no public listing, and is held privately with institutional shareholders including BID, IDH, OikoCredit, ResponsAbility, and Triodos Bank following the 2022 funding round.
Aldea Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aldea Coffee
- Legal name
- Aldea Coffee S. A.
- Website
- https://aldea-coffee.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Aldea Coffee is a Nicaraguan specialty coffee cooperative exporting direct-trade, fully traceable coffees from 5,000 smallholder producers to international roasters via its 2022 industrial plant, while monetizing agroforestry-based carbon credits through the Scolel'te/Plan Vivo project.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aldea Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Export
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAD), Tea, Coffee & Cocoa Farming (Beverage Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAG)
Keywords
Where Aldea Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jinotega
- HQ country
- Nicaragua
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Aldea Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Coffee Export Sales: Primary revenue stream from exporting specialty coffee to international buyers and roasters. Operates as the third largest national exporter in Nicaragua with production capacity of 192,500 sacks (69kg) and 700 containers annually. Sells through Direct Trade relationships building long-term connections between smallholder farmers and global roasters.
- Carbon Credit Sales: Revenue from regenerative environmental programs through the sale of carbon credits. The Scolel'te project generates voluntary carbon credits sold to organizations including the World Bank. 9,000 mzs of SAF Coffee generate 63,000 tonnes of fixed CO2, producing annual income of US$976,500.00 for beneficiaries at a base price of US$20.00/tonne of CO2.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Aldea Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aldea Coffee S.A. is a Nicaraguan coffee producer and exporter that sources specialty coffee from a cooperative base of smallholder farmers and sells direct-trade green coffee to international roasters. The company operates an industrial processing plant in Asturias, Jinotega with 192,500-sack (69 kg) annual capacity, manages the AldeaTRACE sustainability standard, and generates revenue through green coffee exports as well as voluntary carbon credits from agroforestry coffee systems.
Product overview
Aldea Coffee is a Nicaraguan coffee cooperative founded in 1992 with 22 small producers, now comprising thousands of farmers. The company offers a portfolio of specialty coffees including Red Catuai, Honey, Colibrí Azúl, Olomega, and Tierra Madre, alongside sustainability programs like the Direct Trade sourcing model and AldeaTRACE certification standard. The company operates an industrial processing plant with 192,500 sack capacity and provides carbon credit programs through Plan Vivo. Products range from single-origin specialty coffees to social programs supporting women producers and environmental regeneration initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Catuai: Light roast specialty coffee from Nicaragua Los Pedernales with notes of cacao, berries, and citrus.
- Honey
- Plan Vivo
- Colibrí Azúl
- Tierra Madre
- Olomega
- Direct Trade
Products and services
- Red Catuai
Quantifiable outcome
- 192,500 sacks (69kg) annual processing capacity
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Aldea Coffee
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Aldea Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Aldea Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Scolel'te ProjectcoreCarbon sequestration project generating the world's first carbon credits in the Voluntary Carbon Market. These credits are sold to organizations including the World Bank. First Payments for Ecosystem Services (PSA) project in the world.
- Fundación AldeacoreSocial foundation associated with Aldea Coffee working with 5,000 producers on SAF Coffee carbon sequestration programs. Generates annual income of US$976,500 for beneficiaries through carbon credits. Supports Tierra Madre women's land titling program.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Aldea Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Volcafé (ED&F Man): Volcafé is a leading global coffee merchant operating across origins with sustainable sourcing programs — comparable as an incumbent competitor in green coffee trading whose ESG-certified volumes partially overlap with Aldea's specialty positioning.
- ECOM Trading: ECOM is one of the world's largest coffee traders with sustainability programs across origins — a broad incumbent whose sustainable-sourcing arm overlaps with Aldea's specialty export motion but at far larger scale and broader geographic scope.
- InterAmerican Coffee: InterAmerican Coffee is a U.S. specialty green coffee importer/distributor with broad origin coverage — comparable as a competing channel through which international roasters can source Latin American specialty coffees.
Direct peers
- Caravela Coffee: Caravela is a specialty green coffee exporter sourcing directly from smallholder producers across Latin America (Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala) with a strong Direct Trade model and PECA farmer education program — directly comparable to Aldea's sourcing, traceability, and premium positioning.
- Royal Coffee: Royal Coffee is a Bay Area specialty green coffee importer offering traceable, single-origin, and microlot coffees to U.S. roasters — comparable as a B2B specialty green coffee partner serving the same downstream roaster customer base.
- Mercon Coffee Group: Mercon is a major Nicaragua-headquartered green coffee exporter and trader with proprietary sustainability programs (LIFT) and global roaster relationships — directly comparable given the same Nicaraguan origin, B2B export motion, and ESG focus.
- Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers: Sustainable Harvest imports specialty coffee through long-term Relationship Coffee model with transparent pricing and farmer training, directly comparable to Aldea's Direct Trade program and smallholder engagement approach.
- Coop Coffees: Coop Coffees is a cooperative of smallholder coffee cooperatives importing fair-trade and organic green coffee into North America — directly comparable given Aldea's cooperative structure, smallholder focus, and direct-to-roaster export model.
- Crop to Cup Coffee Importers: Crop to Cup is a specialty green coffee importer working directly with smallholder farmers across Latin America and Africa — comparable in the Direct Trade, microlot, and producer-relationship model that Aldea also pursues.
- Atlas Coffee Importers: Atlas is a specialty green coffee importer focused on quality, traceability, and producer relationships across Latin America and East Africa — comparable as a smaller, quality-focused peer serving the same craft roaster customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Aldea Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceAldea Coffee compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Aldea Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aldea Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Aldea Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aldea Coffee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Aldea Coffee
What does Aldea Coffee do?
Aldea Coffee S.A. is a Nicaraguan coffee producer and exporter that sources specialty coffee from a cooperative base of smallholder farmers and sells direct-trade green coffee to international roasters. The company operates an industrial processing plant in Asturias, Jinotega with 192,500-sack (69 kg) annual capacity, manages the AldeaTRACE sustainability standard, and generates revenue through green coffee exports as well as voluntary carbon credits from agroforestry coffee systems.
Is Aldea Coffee a public or private company?
Aldea Coffee is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Aldea Coffee founded?
Aldea Coffee was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Aldea Coffee based?
Aldea Coffee is headquartered in Jinotega, Nicaragua, in the Latin America region.
How does Aldea Coffee make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Coffee Export Sales are the primary driver. The others are carbon Credit Sales.
Who are Aldea Coffee's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Volcafé (ED&F Man), ECOM Trading and InterAmerican Coffee. Direct peers are Caravela Coffee, Royal Coffee, Mercon Coffee Group, Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers, Coop Coffees, Crop to Cup Coffee Importers and Atlas Coffee Importers.
Does Aldea Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aldea Coffee.
What industry is Aldea Coffee in?
Aldea Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Export. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAHAG, Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean), with a secondary code of AFAIAKAD, Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Trading/Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.