Peru Organic & Fair Trade Certified Organic FTO | Norandino Cooperative Northern Highlands Washed

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Peru Organic & Fair Trade Certified Organic FTO | Flavor Profile of Northern Highlands Norandino Cooperative Washed Beans

Peru is the land of the ancient Inca Empire, covering an area approximately 35.7 times the size of Taiwan, stretching along the Andes Mountains, the highest mountain range in South America. In 1533, 180 Spaniards entered what was known as the City of Gold, bringing back abundant quantities of gold to Spain. Coffee cultivation began in the 18th century, with the Andes Mountains extending throughout Peru, covering about 3/4 of the country's area. Located in South America, Peru covers more than half the area of Central America and is also the source of the Amazon River. Peru's total population is about 28 million, with over 200,000 small farmers growing coffee, with an average cultivation area of less than 2 hectares. Coffee is grown along the eastern side of the Andes Mountains at altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 1,850 meters.

Peru's coffee production is predominantly small-scale, with each small farmer owning less than two hectares of land. Each hectare produces approximately 3,000 pounds of coffee. Organic cultivation has a very long and quite common history in Peru, mainly because farmers here lack opportunities or capital to invest in chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. However, in recent years due to climate change, coffee leaf rust has spread across various countries, and organic cultivation has also caused significant reductions in Peru's coffee production. Peruvian coffee is shade-grown in high-altitude areas, primarily featuring Arabica varieties. Under slow maturation conditions, the beans here have higher density and offer considerable flavor variation.

With an annual production of about 3 million bags, all Arabica coffee is processed using the washed method and mainly exported to the United States and Germany. As much as 98% of Peruvian coffee is grown in forested areas, with most production coming from small farmers. Most Peruvian coffee is grown under natural conditions, and local farmers can hardly afford chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Because of this, locally produced coffee is almost entirely organic. Peru is currently the third largest coffee exporter in South America and the ninth largest coffee exporter in the world. Coffee varieties grown include Typica, Bourbon, Cattura, and Pache.

Peru Northern Highlands Norandino Cooperative Organic & Fair Trade Certified is a cooperative formed by local small farmers in the northern highlands region. The Norandino Cooperative (Norandino Coop) consists of 6,600 small coffee farmers and is located on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains within Peru. Each small coffee farmer owns an average of only 1.8 hectares of small farmland, with cultivation altitude averaging 1,200 meters. Fair Trade organizations are the cooperative's second largest customer. This cooperative was established in 1995 under the name Central Piurana de Cafetaleros (CEPICAFE), obtained Fair Trade certification in 1996, and was renamed Norandino in 2014, with the same management and members.

Fair Trade covers many industries and addresses the entire industry chain, from producers at the source, through traders and distributors handling the goods, to end consumers. Each step must comply with principles of fairness and justice, making Fair Trade certification difficult to obtain. Requirements include ensuring farmers receive reasonable income, farmers' cultivation practices must be environmentally friendly, traders must provide farmers with reasonable income to help improve their lives, and many other regulations must be met to obtain certification. When farmers can achieve better quality of life, they also place greater importance on environmental and industrial sustainability.

In the past, when farmers in equatorial South American countries wanted to expand their cultivation area to increase income, they would thoughtlessly clear rainforests, causing the Amazon's original rainforests to disappear by 750,000 square kilometers since the 1970s due to human development. For forest sustainability, current cultivation practices no longer clear native forests. Instead, coffee trees are planted under shade. Currently, more than half of Peru's coffee is grown under shade, which not only sustains rainforests but also enhances coffee quality.

Starting from European and American countries, consumer awareness of environmental protection, social justice, and personal health issues has become widespread. The current world organic market has enormous demand, and Peruvian small farmers who seriously manage various organic products have increasingly broad prospects. The Peruvian government understands that organic agriculture benefits both people and themselves. Besides encouraging small farmers to organize into associations or cooperatives, they have also planned related supporting measures. Today, Peru has become the fifth largest exporter of organic agricultural products.

Coffee Information

Product Name: Peru Northern Highlands Norandino Cooperative

Country: Peru

Producer: Local small farmer collective

Certification: Organic & Fair Trade Certified (Organic & FTO)

Flavor Characteristics: Nutty, caramel sweetness, creamy smoothness, mild and refreshing, balanced mouthfeel.

Coffee Flavor Profile: Nutty, caramel sweetness, creamy smoothness, mild and refreshing, balanced mouthfeel.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommended Brewing Method:

Dripper: Hario V60

Water Temperature: 90°C

Grind Size: Small Fuji grinder setting 3.5

Brewing Method: Water-to-coffee ratio 1:15, 15g coffee grounds. First pour 25g water, let it bloom for 25 seconds. Second pour to 120g water, then pause. Wait until the water level in the coffee bed drops to half, then continue pouring slowly until reaching 225g total water. Extraction time around 2:00.

Analysis: Using a three-stage brewing method to clearly distinguish the front, middle, and back-end flavors of the coffee. Because the V60 has many ribs and drains quickly, pausing during pouring can help extend the extraction time.

Important Notice :

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