Harvesting Coffee In Bolivia

Bolivian coffee is spectacular, unique and less known than its neighbours. The altitude from the Andes gives the beans a unique set of flavours while the perfectly suited tropical climate allows the coffee to thrive. These optimal conditions paired with good farm management and an offset harvest time, have enabled Bolivia to stand out on the international market for the past years. However, Bolivia has many limiting factors for production. We were lucky enough to spend one month working for the main speciality coffee producer and exporter in Bolivia. Here is the story of a family trying to save Bolivia’s incredible coffee.

Bolivia is one of the poorest nations in Latin America and the mountainous land means smaller amounts of agricultural field is available. The country is landlocked and surrounded by mighty coffee-producing nations such as Brazil and Colombia. In fact, the total yearly coffee production of Bolivia equals the amount of just one Brazilian farm…

The origins of Bolivian coffee can be traced back as far as 1880 when all of the production could be linked to a few large landowners in the Yungas region, north of La Paz. Over 60% of the population in Bolivia is indigenous Aymara or Quechua. Mounting pressure for equal rights for the indigenous people in 1991, a land reform reallocated land to the indigenous people who once owned it. This resulted in the large farms being broken down into smaller ones, between 1.5 – 10 hectares, and distributed among 23,000 families, many of whom had never worked in coffee before.

After the land reform, Bolivian coffee experienced a boom. The ideal weather and the introduction of the Cup of Excellence meant coffee exports reached an all-time high. However, history has shown all booms must have a bust and this is exactly what happened in Bolivia.

boom and decline of Bolivian coffee exportation

In order to combat coca production with the aim to reduce the exports of cocaine towards America, programs to promote other forms of agriculture were set up in the Yungas by USAID and the UN. This program sought farmers to leave the dangerous coca industry and instead harvest alternative crops such as fruits, vegetables and speciality coffee. With the introduction of the Cup of Excellence a few years later, Bolivia’s coffee was introduced to the world. Speciality coffee roasters finally got a chance to discover the unique flavours Bolivia had to offer.

Following the re-election of Evo Morales as president of Bolivia, and the implementation of a new constitution in 2009, USAID left Bolivia and the Cup of Excellence competition went with them. Also gone was the training and supports offered for farmers. Couple this with the entrance of La Roya or leaf rust and Bolivian coffee was in a state of turmoil.

Producers were used to coffee growing without much work, like most other crops in the region, and many only entered their farms only during the harvest season. This resulted in farms becoming completely infected and a massive reduction in production. Producers were faced with a choice, continue with under producing farms, which struggled to put food on their tables, or to abandon coffee in favour of alternative crops.

In the last 10 years exports have been continuously dropping, 2010 saw exports around 70,000 bags and this has dropped to as low as 22,000 bags in 2016. Bolivia is facing the realistic possibility that coffee may disappear from its land.

The long-term result of the Cup of Excellence is that Bolivian coffee is known and loved around the world. There is a core group of roasters that support Bolivian coffee and want to see it prosper again. As long as there is this demand, speciality coffee production will still continue. However, there is no support from the government or national agricultural bodies for coffee farmers.

While seeing production dropping, exporters such as the family company we volunteered at, decided to tackle the problem head-on.

Coffee and Death road

Coffee is typically only grown in the Yungas region where 95% of the farms are located. The region is positioned among lush and dense forests at the feet of the jungle which eventually turns into the Amazon. For many years it has been isolated, as the only access was by dangerous roads carved into the sides of mountains with perilous drops of over 100m.

This gravel road became known as “the Death Road” as two way traffic attempted to travel via one-lane roads. After a 20-year plan, a motorway now connects some of this route to the biggest city in the country, making transport of goods easier. The death road has been turned into a huge tourist attraction and receives thousands of cyclist each year.

Re-inventing coffee production in Bolivia

This Bolivian family business which produces coffee from its own farms also sources high-quality micro-lots from small producers of the Yungas region. The dad and his two children run nowadays the company with the idea of restoring and improving Bolivian coffee by launching producers training programs, planting new farms in new regions across Bolivia and opening dry and wet mills.

Seeing incredible results on their farms, the family decided also to implement a program to educate local producers by giving them the training and skills necessary to improve the quality of their beans. By using the knowledge they have learnt on the land they now work with producers to start nurseries and teach them on how to properly look after their farms, prevent infections and harvest their berries.

As for the last class, they had 60 producers enrolled in the program and aimed to reach 100 in the coming year. The purpose of the program is to produce better quality coffee and provide farmers with fair prices that allow them to assure a better life for their families.

Planning a trip to South America? You might be interested in these articles

• Backpacking in Bolivia | 17 things to do and see
• Speciality coffee shops in Lima, Peru
• Visiting La Paz like a local
• Cycling the Death Road
• A complete guide to the best hostels in Bolivia

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About the Author

Jen is the Funder, Author & Photographer behind Talesfromthelens.com

Jen has lived for the past 15 years across Oceania and Ireland while also travelling in Latin America, North America, and Europe. She has visited more than 65 countries and set foot on every continent in the world! She is a coffee nerd, passionate about photography, wildlife, and outdoor activities.

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