Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491365
STiR tea & coffee industry international 59 Peruvian farmers today are not only aware of the journey of their beans but the importance of focusing on the integ- rity of the green beans along the entire supply chain. Mainly shade grown, each farm benefits from the unique attributes of their climate and soil, with 28 identi- fied microclimates within Peru each de- livering a distinct taste to their harvest. Peruvian coffee that was once consid- ered "ordinary" is now described as arti- sanal with the majority hand crafted on small, family owned farms. Most coffee is wet milled using small pulpers and drying patios on the indi- vidual farms where the coffee is "half finished" to a moisture content of about 20%. In the past the coffee was then transported to dry mills near the ports, often by perilous routes, generally every two weeks. Logistics concerns trumped careful finishing. Today the dry mills are closer to producers and the coffee is pro- cessed with greater care. Entrepreneurs, Dan Hildebrandt and Paul Cebul were early to recognize the potential for Peruvian farmers to become a part of the specialty coffee industry. For the past four years their company, Reach Trade, has been actively engaged in developing quality and overall improvements for Peruvian farmers, in- cluding help in selecting the right cultivar and introducing natural processing. "We noticed that specialty coffee was an opportunity but the farmers for the most part didn't know where their coffee was going," said Hildebrandt. "We were pretty passionate about trying to get farmers away from market prices, they needed to be able to reinvest to continue to focus on their quality so they needed to sell their product at prices that were higher than market price." The company invests 5% of gross sales from its direct-sourced Peruvian coffee which is roasted in Cleveland, Ohio. The money is used to purchase household water filters in Lima where two million citizens do not have reliable access to clean water. Hildebrandt believes that what makes a desirable coffee is largely dependent on the consumer's palate. "I think that the Peruvian coffee, at least the ones that we have because of the diversity of the soil, are pretty balanced," said Hildebrandt." Instead of trying one unique coffee once a month, consumers will drink it every day." For the women producers of Café Femenino coffee quality is an integral part of their program. "Organic Products Trading Company is the exclusive developer and importer of all Cafe Femenino coffees worldwide. Each coffee must meet high stan- dards before it can be called Cafe Femenino. Because OPTCO pays a higher premium for their CF coffees, it must be very, very good in order to sell it," said Connie Ko- losvary, program director, Café Femenino Coffee Program. "Once the women have Coffee plantations in La Merced, Perú Photographs by Marcelo Levy Sabina Hernandez, past president of the Cafe Femenino Peru Program pours a fresh pot of coffee