Ecuador Coffee Agency - How Much Does Famous Ecuadorian Coffee Brand Turtle Coffee Beans Cost Per Package

Ecuadorian Coffee from FAPECAFES

Ecuadorian coffee beans come from Fed Reg de Asc de Pequenos Cafetaleros Ecologicos del Sur (FAPECAFES), an alliance formed by four small coffee farmer cooperatives. The alliance was established with the hope of directly accessing the specialty market and maintaining long-term cooperative relationships with international coffee roasters. Its members focus on sustainable farming practices such as soil conservation, shade cultivation, and organic techniques. FAPECAFES obtained international fair trade certification in 2003.

Sr. Gonzales Gaona, a member of FAPECAFES, said: "For me, being part of FAPECAFES and fair trade is very important. It's about systematically improving the economic situation of each family. The results from educational training, diversification, farmland improvement, and soil conservation benefit everyone." Fair trade prices have enabled FAPECAFES to develop diverse social and production projects.

Productivity Enhancement

FAPECAFES established an internal team to assist members in meeting quality control, organic, and fair trade certification requirements. Several cooperatives even have cupping departments to help members better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their coffee.

Financial Support

The cooperatives manage a fund that provides money for purchasing tools, equipment, and seeds.

Health Initiatives

FAPECAFES established a first aid station equipped with serum for treating venomous snake bites. Some cooperatives offer life and accident insurance to members. One cooperative has established and operates a distribution system that supplies staple foods to members at wholesale prices.

Ecuadorian Coffee Characteristics

The FAPECAFES coffee alliance has 1,500 members with an annual production of approximately 1,315,600 pounds. Coffee varieties include Typica, Caturra, Bourbon, and Colombia, with 70% being organic. The eco-friendly Ecuadorian Loja coffee is shade-grown, maintaining the original ecological appearance without disrupting the ecosystem. Coffee is interplanted with various tree species and crops, resembling a forest reserve. For Ecuador, on the equator, ecological preservation is significant because coffee farmers don't need to cut down trees. Coffee trees play the role of middle-layer species in the shade canopy, preserving more habitat for birds and other creatures. Because the coffee trees are shaded by taller species, the beans are generally richer and more aromatic. For consumers, this represents a delicious choice that protects the ecosystem while also supporting farmers.

Medium-dark roasted, the coffee beans are large and rich in oils. They exhibit distinct biscuit and caramel aromas, with a subtle, deep sweetness accompanied by smoky notes that linger in the throat. The coffee is smooth with a profound finish.

Galapagos Coffee Origins

Galapagos translates to "giant turtle," with turtles depicted on the burlap bags. This brings to mind the Pinta Island giant tortoise subspecies, Lonesome George, though unfortunately George passed away last year.

Galapagos is a national park declared by UNESCO as a "Heritage of Humanity," so strict laws prohibit the import or use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, or any other chemicals.

Organic certification organizations OCIA, as well as NATURLAND and IMO, certify its organic environment. It also holds bird-friendly, USDA organic, and German organic certifications.

Technical Specifications

Ecuadorian Coffee Varieties: Ancient Bourbon varieties (planted for 130 years and still producing coffee fruits)

Processing Method: Washed, sun-dried

Tasting Notes

Upon entry there is a slight saline sensation with nutty aromas, citrus and orange fruit acidity, and caramel sweetness. After cooling slightly, more plant-based notes emerge, with excellent clarity and a body as smooth as cream. A subtle mint aroma appears after swallowing, with an above-average finish.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A medium roast is the sweet spot for the balanced, sweet profile that Ecuadorian coffee shows, and FrontStreet Coffee's medium-roast lineup covers the same ground with a range of origins. Brazil Queen Estate is a good starting point: a Yellow Bourbon from Brazil, the world's largest producer, it is clean and sweet, with cream peanut, chocolate, toasted bread, and sugarcane aromas and sweetness, and it works as a pour-over, a moka pot coffee, or an espresso machine coffee.

If you want something sweeter and more fruit-driven, FrontStreet's Strawberry Candy blend joins a Costa Rican honey-processed coffee with a Panama washed Geisha, and the medium roast pushes it toward both an orange-blossom honey character and a round sweetness, suited to cold brew, pour-over, and espresso. For a softer, gentler cup, FrontStreet's 2013 Yunnan natural Typica is roasted medium and shows nutty, brown sugar, black tea, and dried apricot notes, and can be brewed as pour-over, cold brew, or with a drip machine at excellent value.

For the classic balanced profile that made Ecuadorian coffee famous, FrontStreet's Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1, also medium roasted, is a fitting comparison. Its Typica beans, grown under the island's exceptional conditions, bring the coffee's sweetness, bitterness, aroma, and body into one elegant whole, opening with chocolate, roasted nut, cream, and caramel notes.