LAS MUJERES DE AMOJU

We reached out to our friends at Cultivar during their trip of Peru and asked them about different projects they were working on. They told us about the Amoju co-operative – Amoju meaning “a source of fresh water” in Awajun is a co-operative founded in 2016 to bring small scale coffee producers together. They are focussed on organic production and the values behind the stories of the coffee.

Often co-operative is seen as lesser than single producer lots within specialty coffee because it is “less traceable” however, this is not the case. Within the Amoju co-operative the people are able to help each other grow and through teamwork and cooperation create a better-quality product and also a better yield. The lot is fully traceable down to the individual producers This specific lot is a lot from 20 women:  Juana Villalobos, Hela Perez, Lucía Villalobos, Maria Elizabet Linares, Leydi Rioja, Zenaida Banda, Maria Cubas, Rosaura Villalobos, Maria Minga, Nery Rioja, Elvira Guerrero, Yovanny Vazquez, Ledi Bustamante,Leonila Llanos, Rosabel Gonzalez, Celina Quispe, Luz Medaly de la Cruz, Maria Juana Hidrogo,  Luz Marly Vazquez, Maria Cresencia Ramirez.

The focus on practices towards viable agricultures came from direct experience on their land. The people within the co-operative noticed that the fruitfulness of their produce was dwindling due to the competition they were facing from the weeds. In Peru, pesticides and herbisides are widely used to contain weeds, whilst potentially leading to health complications for the producers. This is why Amoju developed systematic processes to limit the impact of weeds as part of their sustainability plan. This commitment to the people behind the coffee is why we are so excited about this project.

About the processing: The cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness, they are then depulped and put to ferment in open tanks for 30 hours. They are then washed with clean water and put to dry on elevated platforms.

About the roast: We aimed this coffee more towards use as espresso - due to the sweet nutty profile. However, the roast is light enough that you can brew it as a filter brew and still get some vibrant acidity.

Roast Level: (Agtron Whole bean: 59 Agtron Ground: 82)

Medium Medium-Light Light Very-Light Ultralight

About the coffee:

Region: Huabel & Cuttervo, Cajamarca.

Farm: 20 female owned farms from the Amoju Co-operative

Altitude: 1,8000-2,000MASL

Importer: Cultivar

Economic Transparency Report:

View a full breakdown of costs and our margins here

Download the technical sheet for this coffee here