Permaculture Association of Teachers and Organizers

CADO is a community enterprise formed of 5 small sugar cane producer associations and an NGO, CRACYP, in an area of extreme poverty in rural Ecuador.  Another four communities are in the process of formally organizing into associations to join.  In total, 162 families are involved.  CADO stands for Sweet Organic Agro-industrial Consortium, in Spanish.

103 of these families now have internationally-recognised organic certification from BCS Öko-Garantie (Germany) and produce what we believe is the world´s only organically-certified, community produced alcohol. 

The organic alcohol is of high quality, suitable for perfumery, industrial processes or the production of organic liqueurs.  Gas chromatography analysis is available and CADO offers potable alcohol, DEB96 and organic ethanol.  More information at http://www.progresoverde.org/organic_alcohol_fair_trade.html. 

CADO pays a fair price to its member producers and prices include a social and environmental premium for community projects decided by the members.  The management committee is democratically elected by the members, who each own a share of the enterprise.

The rest of the families are in the process of transition to organic farming and within the next three years all will have organic sugar cane.