Cooabriel

With 60 years of foundation, Cooabriel - Cooperativa Agrária de Cafeicultores de São Gabriel is the largest conilon coffee Cooperative in Brazil.

The history of the cooperative is intertwined with the history of the municipality where it is headquartered, São Gabriel da Palha/ES. In 1963, in face of the challenges faced at the time, due to the eradication plan of the coffee plantations, some people got together in search of solutions. This ideal of cooperation was what gave birth to Cooabriel, under the incentive of Father Simão Civalero, then municipal parish priest, who, in the 50's, already promoted meetings and courses in cooperativism, as a way to seek solutions to the challenges faced by producers.

On September 13, 1963, four months after the emancipation of São Gabriel da Palha, the cooperative was founded, with 38 founders: 37 producers and Father Simão Civalero, who was elected the first president (1963-1965) of the entity.

In the following years, the following presidents were elected: Father José Simionato (1965-1967); Gustavo Milbratz (1967-1972); Archângelo Laurindo Lorenzoni (1972 - 1974); Aurélio Bastianello (1974-1982); Wanderlino de Medeiros Bastos (1982-1984); Antônio Joaquim de Souza Neto (1984-1993); Dario Martinelli (1993-1999); José Colombi Filho (1999-2002); Antônio Joaquim de Souza Neto (2002-2019); Luiz Carlos Bastianello (2019-currently).

Cooabriel started its activities with the opening of a grocery store, to meet the associates' basic needs. Later, it started to provide coffee storage and commercialization services.

Over the years, it has structured itself to give support to the coffee activity as a whole. Currently, the cooperative's structure allows it to accompany its members from the choice of the planting area to the storage of the harvest and the commercialization of the beans. Allied to this, there are strong investments in improving the quality of the coffees produced, in the search for opening and expanding markets, and in encouraging innovative and sustainable agribusiness.

Having as one of its main premises the provision of quality services to its members, Cooabriel has several units: agricultural stores, storage units, analysis laboratory, clonal garden, and experimental farm. It also has its own brand of roasted and ground coffee, Café Guardião, which now has its own roasting industry.

Preserving the cooperative ideals and based on noble and non-negotiable values, the cooperative acts under the motto "unite to evolve", aware that evolution is only possible by joining efforts and building solid partnerships.

United with its collaborators and its more than 7 thousand members, Cooabriel seeks solidity, acting with effectiveness and transparency and under the firm desire that they are all 'united for the present, connected for the future'.