The Alpaca Fiber Cooperative of North America, Inc. (AFCNA) is an agricultural cooperative incorporated in 1998 under the Colorado cooperative corporation laws. AFCNA Members wholly own it. To be a Member, one must produce alpaca fiber and purchase one share of voting common stock. AFCNA is headquartered at 17494 State Highway 58 N, Decatur, Tennessee where a small permanent staff provides cooperative administration, product manufacturing management, product sales & fulfillment (packing & shipping) and customer services. A 7 to 15 Member elected, volunteer Board of Directors guides AFCNA

Through economies of scale, centralized management and vertical integration, AFCNA provides its Members services at cost they cannot perform individually.

AFCNA is structured into two divisions:

• The Marketing Division collects member fiber and markets it to buyers. The Co-op strives to "value add" the fiber before selling it. At a minimum this involves sorting, grading and baling the fiber, but often includes advanced value adding, turning the fiber into yarns and finished products. Net proceeds of AFCNA Marketing Division activities are returned to members in proportion to their clip submissions.
• The Purchasing Division acts as a "buyer's club", acquiring product for purchase by AFCNA members and select wholesale accounts. Products may be acquired from the AFCNA Marketing Division, or from outside suppliers. Net profits from the AFCNA Purchasing Division may be returned to members in proportion to their patronage of the Co-op.

AFCNA adheres to the Cooperative principals established over a century ago, guaranteeing its owner/members a democratic voice in the Cooperative's activities. Since its founding, AFCNA has grown to over 1500 members working together to advance their collective interests, and to establish a model that offers meaningful returns to the producer of alpaca fiber.