The Pioneer of Organic Coffee - An Introduction to Peruvian Organic Coffee Cultivation_Where Are the Best Organic Coffee Beans From

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Peru: Geography and Coffee History

Peru lies in western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Chile and Ecuador. Its climate is extremely varied, ranging from tropical in the east to dry desert in the west, and from temperate to the cold of the Andes. These different climates are closely tied to Peru's main geographic regions: the western coastal plains, the central Andes, and the eastern lowland jungle of the Amazon Basin.

Although coffee reached Peru as early as the mid-1700s, it was not until the 20th century, with rising European demand and a sharp fall in Indonesian production, that Peruvian coffee began to be exported commercially. The British presence and influence in the country were especially helpful in building and promoting exports; in the early 20th century the British government purchased roughly 2 million hectares of land from the Peruvian government in settlement of defaulted loans, and most of that land became British-owned coffee plantations.

Today Peru has over 110,000 coffee growers, and coffee exports account for 2% of the national economy and 2% of the global coffee supply. Peru is rapidly building out a coffee chain with excellent cultivation techniques.

Peru's Coffee Exports

About 80% of Peru's coffee is exported through the Port of Callao, which handles three-quarters of the country's imports and one-quarter of its exports. The remaining 20% is exported through Iquitos and Matarani.

Most of the coffee produced in Peru is exported. In 2012, 264,343 tons were shipped to countries including the United States, Germany, Belgium, Colombia, and Sweden, while domestic consumption was only about 10%. In 2014, coffee leaf rust (for more on leaf rust, see the El Salvador article) affected 130,000 hectares in the central highlands, contributing to a 6% decline in 2013 production; against the highest production of 30,900 tons, that represents a 15% shortfall.

Coffee is one of Peru's most important agricultural sectors, accounting for 12% of all agricultural exports in 2004. Peru is also one of the world's largest coffee-producing countries, exporting over 216 million kilograms in 2006. In addition, it is a major producer of organic and fair-trade coffee beans. All of this makes Peru the world's eighth-largest coffee producer, though only the third-largest coffee exporter in South America.

Arabica is grown on roughly 200,000 farms in Peru. Most are small, averaging less than 2 hectares. The bulk of the coffee is processed through cooperatives and then passes through several intermediaries before export.

The Development of Peruvian Coffee

As in many Central and South American countries, throughout the 20th century large European-owned holdings were sold or redistributed, so farms grew smaller and more scattered. This gave farmers a chance at independence but also limited their access to resources and larger commercial markets. What is missing here is the organizations and infrastructure to provide economic or technical support to farmers—a gap that non-governmental organizations and certification agencies are trying to fill.

The country has a considerable number of organic coffee certifications, Fairtrade certifications, Rainforest Alliance certifications, and UTZ certifications (UTZ is also known as International Quality Certification). About 30% of smallholders belong to democratic cooperatives, which has raised the local profile of coffee but has not always delivered outstanding quality.

Certification Organizations

• Rainforest Alliance
• Fairtrade Certification
• UTZ Certification

In the 2010s Peru was one of the major Arabica producers, ranking fifth in world production and export of Arabica coffee. The remoteness of the farms and their very small typical size have held back the differentiation of individual farms—something other growing regions have used to build their own marketing. Peru's lush highlands and excellent heirloom varieties give growers a chance to overcome limited infrastructure and market access, and as production grows, we are likely to see more of this kind of progress.

Peruvian coffee farmers work small plots, and the country's typical micro-wet-milling operations are even smaller. From May to September, farmers harvest ripe cherries and carry them to manual pulpers and wooden fermentation tanks. In Peru, coffee processing is mainly done by wet milling on the farm; during this stage the moisture content of the beans is reduced to about 20%, after which they are transported to drying facilities. This decentralized system is a disadvantage for the coffee areas of northern Peru, however, because it leads to inconsistent quality and encourages rot and fungal growth.

After processing, most farmers walk or ride mules to the nearest town to sell their coffee—a trip that can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 8 hours. On Saturdays, the nearest town square becomes a trading post for the surrounding remote growers. Farmers sell their coffee, buy the goods they need for daily life, and head back into the mountains.

Unfortunately, something very common and very unfortunate happens at these trading posts: sometimes only one buyer shows up. That sharply reduces the price farmers receive. Lacking personal warehouse space and relying only on unreliable, expensive collective warehouses, farmers usually have no choice but to accept the lower price. The more remote the farm, the more the coffee is blended and traded before it reaches the coast. This disorganized trade and isolation alienates farmers from the final drink their farms produce. For years growers focused on trading parchment coffee by weight for dollars, which completely disconnects them from the idea of producing a beverage that is enjoyed—or rejected—on quality. Some middlemen even add weight to each bag by sprinkling in sand and water.

Coffee Cultivation in Peru

Peru's coffee fields are concentrated in the northern Cajamarca region, southern Cusco, and the Nopo area. Of the varieties grown, 70% are Typica and 20% Caturra, with the rest made up of others such as Catimor. About 75% of the coffee area sits at elevations between 1,000 and 1,800 meters, and shaded plantings reach 2,000 plants per hectare. Farming is largely in the hands of smallholders, with organic coffee grown on 90,000 hectares.

As the world's eighth-largest coffee-producing country, Peru has found in the past decade that organic coffee is a huge commercial opportunity in Europe and America. The coffee fields in Peru's mountainous regions lack running water and electricity, and poor indigenous farmers have farmed organically since ancient times simply because they could not afford pesticides and fertilizers. The authorities therefore developed the organic coffee industry, guiding certification and issuing organic certificates to eligible growers to facilitate exports.

Peru's organic coffee production costs are low, making it the world's largest and cheapest exporter of organic coffee. The other two major organic producers are Mexico and Ethiopia, but their prices are higher. The authorities intend to develop Peru into the world's leading organic coffee country, much as Vietnam is the world's largest Robusta producer—but this low-price strategy has caused dissatisfaction among many producing countries. Even so, although Peru sells organic coffee cheaply, that does not mean specialty coffee has vanished. At the 2010 SCAA "Coffee of the Year" cupping competition, a Typica produced by Cecovasa from the small town of Tunkimayo in the Puno region of southeastern Peru scored 89.2 points, narrowly edging out the famous Panama Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda to take fifth place.

About CENFROCAFE

Established in 1999, CENFROCAFE is one of the largest and best-organized cooperative organizations in Latin America, with a presence in most regions of Peru. Despite the overall lack of a cohesive national coffee association or non-governmental organization, CENFROCAFE has supported nearly 2,000 coffee growers by providing agricultural and financial resources while encouraging producers to learn about roasting and engage with specialty coffee.

About 92% of the coffee sold through CENFROCAFE is organic, and 100% is certified fair trade. This has improved product quality and boosted demand for Peruvian coffee in international markets at competitive prices.

FrontStreet Coffee: a roastery in Guangzhou with a small storefront but a wide range of beans, where you can find both famous and lesser-known coffees. Online shop service: https://shop104210103.taobao.com

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Peru's story is one of washed, high-grown Latin American coffee, and FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Huila shares that same clean, structured character. Grown above 1,500 meters in the mountains of Huila—the country's most famous specialty region—and medium-dark roasted, it emphasizes dark chocolate and nutty sweetness, moderate body oil, and a full mouthfeel. It is at home as a pour-over or French press and also works for moka pot and espresso, pulling a fine Americano or latte.

For a more contemporary twist on the region, the FrontStreet Colombia Sidra from Finca La Divisoria is anaerobically natural processed, which transforms the fruit into intense tropical notes. Medium-light roasted, it delivers passion fruit, grape, apricot, and dried fruit in a pour-over, cold brew, drip bag, or moka pot. Either coffee is a good way to explore what careful washed and experimental processing can do for Latin American beans.