Peru Grade One

coffee in peru: history and farming practices

historically:

peru’s coffee trade was a beneficiary of Indonesia’s coffee rust outbreak in the 1800s. Before this, Indonesia was the biggest exporter of coffee globally, but when the crops were blighted, European colonial powers needed a new location to grow their coffee. Peru fit the bill perfectly, and an industry was created.

today:

peruvian coffee is typically grown on small farms, and the farmers typically process it themselves. For this reason, most peruvian coffee is fully washed and sun-dried on raised beds. Peru is also the largest exporter of organic coffee globally. However its organic status is often certified by different bodies, meaning it is always traded as ‘organic certified’ despite being grown organically.

the small farms are often very remote, farmers often rely on cooperative membership to avoid exploitation on the market. however this is a slow growing trend, approximately only 20% of Peru’s producers are cooperative members.