A short KUSIKUY coffee picture story

Fair Trade Eco-Tourism and Gender:  A 9-member Peace & Justice group from the US visited the Union ProAgro Fair Trade coffee co-op in Caranavi, Bolivia in June 2012.   They had a wonderful trip and learned all about the coffee production process - including fair trade and organic techniques, quality control, and market data.  Housing, meals, and hands-on harvesting activities were provided.  A very good job was done and enjoyed by all!  Pictured here:  Esther Alanqa - the Vice President of Gender with US guest.  Gender training, to help bring women and teenagers more into leadership roles within their coffee communities, is very popular and producing measurable results.  The men report being relieved to not have to  be making decisions alone all of the time and recognize and welcome the new and different ideas the women bring.  The women enjoy the chance to participate but are still burdened with home activities and child care and find it hard to find time for it all.  The teens are interested in theri own active participation but also want other options for themselves besides agriculture - which is hard work!

Organic, shade grown, inter-cropped coffee.  Mangoes, papayas, avocados, citrus such as orange, lemon, lima, and grapefruit, achiote, mahogany, and other trees grow interspersed with the coffee creating a wonderful shade canopy, crop diversification, extra nutrition,  income for the family (they sell the fruit in the local markets), improved soil conditions, and specially flavored coffees,  Organic farming methods such as heavy mulching and weed cutting (rather than removal) prevent erosion and improve the soil.

Our harvest.  Picking coffee is sort of like picking blueberries but the guindas (berries) need a bit more of a tug. And you don't get the benefit of eating half of what you harvest - like you do with blueberries!  Bolivians pick up to 100 pounds of cherries a day. These are then de-pulped, fermented, and carefully sun-dried before being transported to El Alto for a second drying,  polishing, and export processing.

Organic, fair Trade, robusto type, coffee beans ready for picking.  Look for KUSIKUY's line of Direct Trade hand roasted, Fair trade, organic, arabica Bolivian coffee beans now available - from the coffee Yungus to you!

Organic pest Control.  A tiny worm eats the coffee seeds.  By spraying a fungus on the plants that attacks the worm, this pest is easily controlled.  Here is a photo of a fungus topped worm in a coffee guinda.

The right way to dry coffee.  On a net covered drying table, 60cm above the ground.  This allows for better air circulation and prevents dust and animals (such as chickens) from getting into the beans.  These beans have been de-pulped, fermented, selected, and are now undergoing their first drying.  They will undergo a second drying in the highland mountains of El Alto, and be de-husked before being ready for export as green, un-roasted, Fair Trade, organic coffee beans.  Organizations such as Equal Exchange and FairTradeUSA buy this coffee.  Men and women together harvest the coffee though the women often take care of the de-pulping and first drying.

Selecting the coffee.  Only the best beans are processed.

A coffee couple on market day.  Coffee production is shared by the entire family.

Selling on the local market.  Non Fair trade coffee producers sell in the local markets like this one in Caranavi and are subject to internal market fluctuations.  In June 2012, Bolivia's average local market price for dried coffee was about $65 a quintal (the large sacks).  In comparison, the Fair Trade price was at $170 a quintal.  Never-the-less there were farmers who chose to opt out of Fair trade.  Reasons included not wanting to join an association (a Fair Trade requirement), not wanting to pay the association fees (often 25% of the product price), and not wanting to wait for payment.  Fair Trade associations have about a one month delay on payments while local market buyers, like the ones above, pay directly at the time of the sale.

Erosion and environmental destruction caused by excessive coca farming.  Coca, a popular cash crop with three harvests a year, is often grown in conjunction with Fair Trade coffee which has just one harvest.  Relaxed coca production policies in Bolivia has led to greater coca production.  Farmers are now starting to diversify as they realize the environmental damages caused by lost forest habitats (clear cutting), erosion, and reduced soil quality from the coca production.  More farmers are choosing to diversify,  planting more coffee and  local crops and engaging in organic farming methods.

A new coffee nursery.  Recently planted coffee seeds in Corioco, Bolivia need about 6 weeks to germinate.  These fern covered tents provide protection from the sun, drying, and animals, as the seedlings take root. 

Drying the pulp.  The pulp from the guinda, or coffee berry, is dried and made into a healthy tea - rich in antioxidants with a light sweet taste that children love.  This is sold in the local market and enjoyed by Bolivians nation-wide.

Mother-daughter coffee farmers!

Working together to dry the hand roasted coffee.  Members of the Pachamama coffee cooperative in Corioco, Bolivia provide direct trade specialty coffee to buyers around the world.  A father-daughter team works to cool the coffee they just roasted.  KUSIKUY will be carrying the Pachamama line of direct trade, organic, hand roasted, coffee.

Pachamama women's coffee association.  Only women are allowed to be members of the this association which supports families in their specialty coffee productions.  Assisted by NGO Caritas, Bolivia, members enjoy technical assistance in all aspects of coffee production and personal development.  Men are allowed to attend meetings in a woman's absence.