This phase aimed to deepen the understanding of La Red’s organizational dynamics, historical trajectory, and the challenges faced by its associated producers. Using qualitative and ethnographic methods, the study examined how internal relationships, decision-making, and problem-solving strategies have influenced the association’s development and resilience over time.

To achieve this, six interviews were conducted with technicians, managers, and producers from La Red, on farms, at the organization’s headquarters and during international coffee fairs and events (e.g., meetings, general assemblies). The qualitative data gathered provided key insights into the association’s structure, evolving challenges, and the mechanisms supporting its sustainability and role within the coffee value chain.

This information also played a crucial role in refining the quantitative questionnaire for the second phase. Additionally, data on the association’s growth trends, membership evolution, and geographical context were collected, helping to frame the broader environmental, economic, social, and political dimensions of the study. Regarding the mode of data collection, all respondents were informed in advance about the research methodology and objectives. In line with best practices for ensuring data privacy, all interviews and the subsequent questionnaire were conducted under strict conditions of anonymity, guaranteeing the highest level of confidentiality for participants. All subsequent data elaboration adhered fully to these confidentiality standards.

The sample showed a predominance of men (75%) over women (25%). Most respondents were between 40 and 60 years old, with an average age of 45.6 years. Regarding experience in coffee farming, 55% of respondents had been in the industry for over 20 years, while a significant portion (27.5%) had been growing coffee for more than 30 years. Farm sizes ranged from 2 to 10 hectares, consistent with expectations for an association of small producers, with an average farm size of 5.5 hectares. Finally, the average coffee production per farm was 3.88 tons, with an average yield of 0.69 tons per hectare.

Fairness values were consistently high across all questionnaire’s items, aligning closely with the founding principles and bylaws of the association. Nearly all items received an average response above 4, with the only exception being the item related to the adequacy of the premium price, which scored slightly lower (3.60) but remained at an appreciable level. The average values calculated for each type of fairness (items average for each type of fairness) were as follows: 4.23 (Distributive fairness), 4.55 (Procedural fairness), 4.66 (Interactional fairness) and 4.33 (Environmental fairness) (Table 3).

The binary regressions conducted on the various socio-demographic characteristics and the factors identified through exploratory analyses did not yield statistically significant results, as all p-values exceeded the maximum 0.05 significance threshold (Table 8). This result is significant in itself and may be attributed to two main factors. First, since the study focuses on an association of small producers, socio-demographic and economic differences within the sample may not be particularly pronounced, as also reflected in the descriptive frequencies. Second, the producers’ perceptions and values expressed by the interviewees are not directly linked to these socio-economic characteristics. Instead, their responses seem influenced by other factors: most notably, as suggested by the qualitative analysis in a later section, a sense of belonging to a collective project that transcends individual characteristics and personal economic interests. The qualitative information gathered in the first data analysis provides further insights into these findings, offering a deeper understanding of the underlying dynamics, as discussed below.

Overall results confirmed that La Red’s chain organization and value distribution are driven not only by economic factors but also by a strong social dimension. Many interviewees expressed deep appreciation for their involvement in the association, emphasizing that their satisfaction went beyond financial returns. Many respondents described La Red as a crucial reference point in the region, successfully uniting small and isolated producers into a stronger collective actor. Several interviewees described their involvement with the association as a ‘turning point’, an ‘important alliance,’ and an ‘opportunity for growth in a challenging market’.

This collaboration has enhanced their bargaining power and created a dynamic space for cooperation, where issues, skills, and knowledge are shared and mutually defined, and where each farmer can express opinions, criticisms, and proposals. Many producers viewed this as a form of empowerment. While some acknowledged that “certain aspects could be improved and better organized,” all interviewees described their decision to join the association as a “good” or “very good choice.” Moreover, several producers, in particular women, stressed the equality of treatment between men and women, without gender discrimination.

Regarding the context, La Red operates in a region with significant infrastructural deficiencies, where conflict among military, paramilitary, and guerrilla forces hindered local development until the Peace Agreement. Some producers highlighted how, through its organizational and social activities, La Red helped mitigate these conflicts while also addressing logistical challenges. The establishment of the agencias de compra—collection points spread across the Sierra Nevada—has partially compensated for poor road conditions and the lack of transportation available to small producers.

Most respondents also recognized La Red’s role in providing technical support to ensure sustainable farming and promoting a long-term vision for agriculture centered on soil health and ecosystem regeneration. Some producers highlighted that this long-term perspective distinguishes La Red from other actors in the industry. Expressions such as ‘La Red gives us tools to take better care of the land,’ ‘with La Red we think about the present with an eye to the future,’ and ‘we feel safe because of continuous support in crop management’ were recurrent in several interviews, reflecting the perceived value of the association’s support.

The qualitative analysis results align with the findings from the quantitative and factorial analyses. Both approaches highlight a positive evaluation of key aspects such as transparency, participation in decision-making, mutual respect, responsiveness in addressing and resolving issues, technical support, and the recognition that environmental sustainability is essential for ensuring long-term economic viability.

The study contributes to the consolidation of the conceptualization of fairness. The results revealed consistently high scores across all types of fairness, reflecting a strong appreciation from nearly all respondents. As elaborated in the preceding section, the values exhibited a considerable degree of homogeneity. However, a notable observation is that the individual latent factors identified and validated through factor analyses include various variables that span across multiple types of fairness. This finding suggests a partial divergence between the theoretical classifications of fairness and the empirical data analyzed.

While the theoretical distinction between different types of fairness remains essential and undeniably valuable for analytical purposes, the research findings indicate that these categories are more flexible and interconnected than the framework suggests. Except for Factor 1, where Interactional Fairness clearly dominates, the factors are composed of a blend of elements from various types of fairness. This does not imply that the theoretical framework is flawed, but rather that it can be refined to better reflect the connections between the fairness types.

As shown in Figure 6, the four types of fairness are interconnected, rather than being isolated, with mutual influences that can amplify or diminish the effects of individual factors. In the dynamic process of analysis and synthesis central to this research, fairness emerges as a cohesive phenomenon. While the theoretical distinctions between different types of fairness remain useful for analytical purposes, in practice, these categories overlap and interact. This is evident in the four identified factors through the factor analysis, which each integrate multiple dimensions of fairness, highlighting a more fluid and interconnected reality.

This insight aligns with the concept of the socio-ecological system, referenced in the theoretical framework, which emphasizes the inherent interdependence of social, economic, and environmental dimensions (Holling, 2001; Giampietro et al., 2009; Preiser et al., 2018; Berkes, 2017).

The research findings support that building other models in the coffee sector—exemplified by La Red experiment—is not solely an economic challenge. While securing higher revenues for producers, and improving product quality remain the core objectives of the association, achieving these goals requires a multidimensional transformation, encompassing changes in social dynamics within the association, its connection to the local territory, and its capacity to develop a model with economic, social, and political dimensions.

This model seeks to rebalance power relations within the value chain by prioritizing participation, transparency, and open communication in decision-making processes while fostering economic development through sustainable practices, transparent business practices and a long-term perspective. In this regard, the dynamics upon which La Red is built can also be interpreted as a process of self-determination and self-governance in its original meaning: dynamics through which members of the association strengthen their capacities and awareness, enabling them to drive real change in their socio-economic environment (Tengland, 2007; Freire and Macedo, 2014; Fantini, 2016). Indeed, the concept of empoderamiento—which can be translated as ‘self-determination’ or ‘self-governance’—was frequently mentioned, either explicitly or through related terms, in the interviews conducted. Producers and association members emphasized that, beyond securing significantly higher prices for coffee and other products, the association’s greatest success lies in its ability to actively involve members in shaping a value chain model distinct from conventional, dominant structures. This model is built on principles of fairness and mutual support, which, as confirmed by quantitative analysis, are embedded in a self-sustaining system. It strengthens various dimensions of equity, even in the face of significant challenges such as acquiring bargaining power, countering the influence of more dominant chain actors—which, as Grabs and Ponte (2019) suggest, can manifest as bargaining, institutional, demonstrative, or constitutive power—and addressing infrastructural constraints.

The findings confirm the initial theoretical premises regarding socio-ecological systems, aligning with the concept of “emergent properties” in complex systems (Preiser et al., 2018). These properties arise from the interactions and interdependencies within the system, reinforcing each other in a self-sustaining manner (Funtowicz and Ravetz, 1994; San Miguel, 2023). The interplay among different types of fairness observed in this study mirrors patterns identified in socio-ecological research, highlighting the interconnected nature of these dimensions.

Moreover, the findings on value retention among producers within La Red offer a tangible illustration of a model that—despite some limitations—demonstrates relative success in fostering more equitable supply chains. This case study contributes empirical evidence to ongoing debates on the distribution of value and power in global value chains (Gereffi, 2018; Grabs and Ponte, 2019; Ponte, 2019), reinforcing calls for more inclusive and just arrangements.

The concept of a business model defines how an organization creates, distributes, and captures value, encompassing the strategies and structures that enable a business to gain a competitive advantage (George and Bock, 2009; DaSilva and Trkman, 2014). This idea has gained widespread recognition in recent decades, particularly with the rise of the new economy. However, in the case of La Red this concept shows some limitations.

Defining value solely in monetary terms fails to capture other crucial factors that contribute to the project’s success and long-term viability. While economic sustainability remains essential, La Red demonstrates that value is built through broader social and environmental commitments. Operating in a region affected by decades of conflict, limited infrastructure, and producer isolation, within an ecologically fragile landscape where preserving forest health and hydrogeological stability is vital, the association needed a model capable of evolving alongside its territory—one that is not just economic but also social and political. Its strength lies precisely in this multidimensionality, reflecting broader trends in other tropical countries (Martins, 2020; Artner and Yin, 2023).

This approach is based on three key pillars: empowering producers and local communities with knowledge and skills to reduce asymmetry and dependence in global value chains (Grabs and Ponte, 2019; Ponte, 2019), redistributing value within local communities rather than prioritizing pure capital accumulation (Martinez-Alier, 2002; Borras and Franco, 2024), and adopting agricultural practices that protect and regenerate agroecosystems rather than overexploiting and depleting them (Gudynas, 2023; Chagnon et al., 2022). This threefold perspective challenges the conventional corporate framework by positioning La Red as a model for how approaches—rooted in grassroots initiatives, self-organization, and participatory processes—can evolve alongside their territories. It demonstrates that such models can achieve higher returns while balancing economic viability with long-term social and environmental resilience, treating environmental and social considerations as the foundation for sustainable, community-driven economic activity.

Along with its strengths, this study also presents certain limitations. The first concerns the sample size: expanding it further could provide a more detailed and large-scale verification of the results. A second limitation relates to the time scale of the study. Although the interview period was sufficiently wide and appropriate for this research, extending the timeframe or conducting multiple surveys over different periods could offer valuable insights into how perceptions evolve over time. Another potential avenue for further research is the replication of this study across multiple case studies in different geographical areas, incorporating a comparative and territorial approach (Morales et al., 2022). This would help determine the extent to which the findings of the present study are widely applicable.

Despite these limitations, this study provided an original perspective on supply and value chain mechanisms, by using a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The research aimed to capture the complexity of this case study. Additionally, the adaptation of the questionnaire and the incorporation of environmental fairness—one of the study’s key original contributions—effectively captured the multi-dimensional nature of La Red Project, providing a more comprehensive understanding of its impact. Collectively, these findings offer fresh perspectives on supply chains and open avenues for further research.