What is Peru Sun and Coffee Cooperative Organic Certified Coffee? Characteristics of Peruvian Organic Coffee

Peru's Coffee Heritage

Peru began exporting coffee in 1887 and is now the eighth-largest coffee-producing country in the world and the largest exporter of organic coffee. With an annual output of 2 million bags, coffee accounts for 5% of total exports. More than one-third of the nation's coffee is grown in the northern Cajamarca region, along with the southern regions of Apurímac and Cusco. The farms are mainly smallholdings averaging no more than 5 hectares. The most common varieties are Bourbon, Typica, Pache, and Caturra.

Fair Trade and Small Farmers

More than 11 million people in Peru work in agriculture, the vast majority of them independent smallholders. Because the distances between cities are long and transport costs are high, organizations formed by small farmers play a particularly important role. In 2005, Fairtrade International established a presence in Peru to help farmers enter the fair trade system and reach international markets. Today more than 110 cooperatives hold fair trade certification.

The Impact of Fair Trade

Fair trade emphasizes fairness throughout the entire supply chain, from consumers, traders, and distributors to producers. Certification therefore requires meeting certain standards, such as ensuring farmers a reasonable income and following environmentally sound practices.

Environmental Conservation

In the past, the simplest way for farmers to raise their income was to keep clearing rainforest and expanding their plots. As a result, the Amazon rainforest has lost 750,000 square kilometers since the 1970s to unregulated development.

In recent years environmental protection has drawn growing attention, and how to let tropical rainforests and local farmers thrive together has become an important global question. Growing coffee under the shade of existing forest, without clearing native vegetation, has become one of the sustainable answers. In Peru, more than half of all coffee trees are now grown under shade. The practice preserves the rainforest and also improves coffee quality.

Peru's Organic Success

According to reporting from the Public Television Service News Issues Center, the path for Peruvian smallholders has grown wider, making Peru the world's largest producer of organic coffee, with export values exceeding $200 million USD. The Peruvian government also understands that organic agriculture benefits everyone. Besides encouraging farmers to form associations or cooperatives, it has planned supporting measures to make Peru the fifth-largest exporter of organic agricultural products.

Coffee Details

Region: Rioja/San Martin

Producer: Regional small farmers

Altitude: 1200-2050 meters

Varieties: Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Pache, Mondonovo

Processing Method: Washed

Flavor Notes: Orange, lime, grapefruit and honey, green tea notes, smooth and mellow...

Certifications: Fair Trade. Organic Certification. Rainforest Alliance

Organic Certification Number: Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan Organic Agricultural Products Permit No. 106-156200003

FrontStreet Coffee suggests brewing with water at 88°C. The cup presents rich chocolate sweetness with a prominent aroma, a full and mellow body, and a caramel-sweet aftertaste.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A washed, clean, and budget-friendly coffee like this is exactly what FrontStreet Coffee recommends for anyone moving from commodity coffee into specialty. FrontStreet's washed Yirgacheffe Gutingding Cooperative is a classic entry point, with jasmine florals, bright lemon and citrus acidity, and a berry tone, all wrapped in a clean, tea-like body. Like good Peruvian coffee, it is easy to enjoy and rewards simple pour-over brewing.

If you would rather start with something softer and sweeter, FrontStreet's Brazil Cerrado Red Bourbon is an equally approachable single origin from a well-known Brazilian region, with the typical creamy, peanut, and cocoa notes of Brazil and a gentle, balanced sweetness. Both make honest, affordable daily cups for anyone exploring a new producing country.