Peru APROCCURMA

In the north of Peru, bordering Ecuador continuing the cordillera of the Andes through a deeply eroded river valley lies Lonya Grande. Home to the Marañón river, the main contributory to the Amazon, and the Kuelap fortress built by the Chachapoyas in 6th Century AD, the steep mountainsides have created a microclimate accommodating a proliferation of orchids, home to the treasured Nacional cacao varietal and perfect for great quality coffee.

The majority of the coffee grown their is Caturra, at around 40%, and Pache (around 30%), a dwarf mutation of Typica lineage originating in Guatemala.

In 2015 a group of producers came together to create what has become Asociacion de Productores Cafetaleros De La Cuenca Del Rio Marañón – APROCCURMA for ease – with the collective goal of improving their living conditions cooperative and organizational work. This has grown to stand currently with 467 producers, 124 of them women spread across a total of 867 hectares. Amongst the initiatives they run, are reforestation and soil conservation programmes, and solid waste management plans too.

Coffee here is picked ripe, and after an initial flotation passed through a depulping machine. Tanks are used for fermentation (approx 12-18 hours) and washing, before wooden platforms and solar tents are utilised for controlled drying.