Asociacion de Productores Agropecuarios de Cafe Especial de Planadas (ASOPEP) was founded in 2013. Even as a relatively young organization, ASOPEP is a leader in the region. It has more members than any other association in Tolima, and it is the only cooperative with complete coffee infrastructure to control the entirety of processing, quality control, transportation, and commercialization.

The general manager, Camilo Enciso, is a regional leader and a great advocate for the Planadas cooperatives. He catalyzed a partnership between different Planadas cooperatives, which has led to greater market visibility for the region and an increased presence at trade shows and coffee events around the country. A group of representatives went to Medellin in 2014, which was the first time that several of the young farmers had ever left the region. Enciso has a clear vision of how to position Planadas and maximize the potential of this unique part of Colombia’s coffee lands.