The Cajamarca region holds a lot of potential for producing high-quality coffee, having ideal growing conditions and great varieties. However, producers lack infrastructure and specialist agronomy knowledge so that quality is often lost in picking, processing and drying. The most vulnerable producers are those that are un-organised – farmers who are not members of a cooperative, association or organisation. This population represent 75% of producers in Northern Peru. These farmers do not have access to training sessions or price premiums for quality or certifications, and their income is totally dependent on the world market price. Often, local traders come to the farm or house of a producer and buy their coffee for cash before selling it on. This coffee may be sold directly to an exporter or more often it is sold to other traders and middlemen. This results in the producer being paid very little for their coffee, loss of quality and traceability.
Union has been sourcing from Cajamarca since 2018 when Falcon Coffee identified farmers who had potential to produce and deliver high-quality parchment coffee to a dedicated dry mill in Jaen, Northern Peru. The process now involves buying parchment directly from producers which enables full financial traceability and processes to control and improve quality.
June 22, 2021
