A country with a unique terroir and a small volume of coffee production
Although Bolivia has ideal conditions for cultivating coffee, the country's rank in overall production is 38th. Unfortunately, Bolivian-grown coffee remains relatively unknown and untapped as it faces several obstacles hindering its progress toward achieving its full potential.
We will tell you how the coffee industry developed in Bolivia.
The history of the development of the coffee industry
Coffee was introduced to Bolivia in the late 1700s and early 1800s, making its first appearance within the Los Yungas region of the Andes mountains. Initially, production amounts were minuscule, with most of it being reserved for only those elites living in the country at that time. Although slavery did not officially exist, many Bolivians working on coffee farms during this period were exploited by their employers.
By 1952-1953, the government had implemented agrarian reform in order to redistribute land from wealthy landowners to local workers. This not only granted indigenous peoples ownership of agricultural plots but also enshrined their right to do so with the saying "La Tierra es de Quien la Trabaja" - translating to "The land belongs to those who cultivate it". To this day, this mantra is still upheld by all levels of society as a fundamental principle of our nation.
After some time, local producers unified and developed cooperatives and other organizations. ANPROCA was created in 1976, followed by the inception of FECAFEB (Federation of Coffee Exporters of Bolivia) in 1991. These efforts enabled a collective front to advocate for their rights while aiding the growth of
Bolivian coffee production on an international level.
The steep slopes of the Andes - a unique but hard-to-reach terroir for growing coffee in Bolivia
At the dawn of the 21st century, attention in the industry moved towards coffee bean quality. Between 2004 and 2009 Bolivia was proud to host the Cup of Excellence. In 2014, it celebrated its inaugural Taza Presidencial competition nationwide - a seminal moment for Boliva's agriculture sector!
Terroir, growing regions, and varieties
Coffee farms in the local area are extraordinary - located between 1500 and 2500 meters above sea level, on steep inclines with an increased angle of solar radiation due to their distance from the equator. Because of this unique positioning, trees receive less sun than other areas making it a highly sought-after terroir!
In comparison to the same elevation in, say, Colombia, 2,000 meters altitude in Bolivia is much more extreme. The low light intensity combined with considerable day and night temperature differences causes berries to ripen gradually while accumulating an abundance of complex sugars and acids - resulting in a unique coffee flavor that is infinitely more intricate.
Between June and October, Bolivian farmers reap a single harvest of berries--distinctively different from the multiple harvests seen in most other significant producing regions. This gives Bolivia an edge in that manufacturers can schedule their acquisitions such that they have access to freshly harvested coffee year-round.
Coffee-producing regions of Bolivia
Coffee production in Bolivia is largely concentrated in the Los Yungas region of La Paz department, specifically within the Karanawi province. On average, small farmers account for 85-95% of Bolivian coffee harvests which are cultivated on 1 to 8-hectare plots.
The main varieties of coffee here are typica, caturra and catuai. Typica is an Ethiopian variety, and Bolivia is the only country in this part of the world where it is so common.
Level of production, consumption, and export
Within the past decade, Bolivian coffee production has plummeted by fourfold to a mere 100 containers per annum. This stands in stark contrast to Colombia's 40,000 container yield every year.
According to Pedro Rodriguez, CEO of Agricafe, "The last decade has been an extremely difficult period for coffee production in Bolivia. Factors such as aging farms and trees, disease outbreaks like the dreaded coffee leaf rust epidemic, and low yields have all taken their toll on the industry." Furthermore, Mr. Rodriguez notes that since most Bolivian coffee farms are organic they lack protection against pests.
Total coffee production in Bolivia is only 100 containers per year
Despite having a meager average of 300 g per person per year, Bolivian coffee consumption is quickly on the rise in major cities like La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba. Sadly, due to legal restrictions, it is not possible to import green coffee bean into the country - leaving local roasters with only one choice: sourcing their coffee beans within Bolivia itself.
Farmers' problems
The country's physical landscape, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient agricultural workers, and illicit coca production are the primary forces behind the nation's dearth of productivity.
Bolivian exporters are faced with an obstacle due to the country's landlocked geography, thus, exports must enter neighboring nations before reaching ocean ports. This lengthy process can take up to 3-4 days of road travel and often a similarly long wait for loading in Chile. The only alternative is air transport, though it comes at a significantly higher cost.
Furthermore, Bolivia's lack of proper infrastructure, particularly in the highlands, makes it difficult to transport coffee and escalates labor costs.
In the wake of competition from coca, many coffee farmers in Bolivia are flipping their crops to this legal product that yields four harvests annually. While it was originally just used for making traditional tea or chewing its leaves for a burst of energy, growing and selling coca is far more profitable than cultivating coffee - something which has become increasingly attractive to Bolivia’s agriculturalists.
Ruth Vidaurre Solorzano, President of the Federation of Coffee Exporters of Bolivia, has expressed her concern for the futures of coffee farmers in Los Yungas due to their transition from growing coffee to coca.
Most of the coffee farms in Bolivia are organic.
Trees on them are more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
One of the most prominent issues in coffee production is the scarcity of labor. Despite Bolivia and Colombia having similar sizes, only 11 million people are living in Bolivia while 50 million live in Colombia - this small population makes it increasingly problematic to find pickers that work with coffee-producing regions which normally have lower populations densities than major cities like La Paz and Santa Cruz.
Currently, Bolivia is striving to make coffee production more appealing and rewarding for farmers. To do this, USAID in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is assisting to upgrade the quality of their coffee. This includes selective harvesting based solely on ripeness as well as upgraded processing methods. Additionally, coca production must be eliminated or at least minimized for these projects to work successfully.
Aimed at producing organic coffee for the European market, these programs strive to generate a superior product that can command a higher price. In essence, this effort is designed to enable the country’s economy to benefit from increased profits of its quality output.
Specialty coffee in Bolivia
These days, the specialty industry is booming in Bolivia's major cities. La Paz alone boasts dozens of coffee shops and its citizens love to savor locally grown and roasted specialty coffees.
For the first time ever, Bolivia welcomed the Cup of Excellence in 2004. Nevertheless, after Socialist President Evo Morales was elected and US-Bolivian relations experienced a strain, combined with other internal issues, resulted in the shuttering of this event by 2009.
In 2015, Bolivia initiated the Taza Presidencial coffee tournament, inspired by the renowned Cup of Excellence. Spearheaded by the Federation of Coffee Producers and Exporters of Bolivia (FECAFEB) and the National Association of Coffee Producers (ANPROCA), this competition had a greater goal in mind: to promote Bolivian coffee worldwide while receiving aid from the Ministry Of Rural
Development.
VIII National Tournament Taza Presidencial 2022. © social networks Soberanía Alimentaria IPDSA
Taza Presidencial searches for an extraordinary coffee that is worthy of the prestigious title of "presidential". Out of 44 lots, only two attained a score above 90 points in 2021. Of those samples sent to international auction, 21 scored more than 86 points. Surprisingly, it wasn't Caranavi—the region with the highest specialty coffee production—that won but instead Cochabamba, known primarily as a coca producer!
Sandra Eliza Loofburow, the head judge of the competition and director of Royal Coffee The Crown's tasting room, was astounded by her findings over the past year. After having tasted coffee and conversed with industry experts in Bolivia during this period she is now more confident than ever that Bolivian specialty coffees are on their way to becoming a sought-after product worldwide. Bolivia is quickly becoming renowned for its exceptional quality coffee, thanks to the technical expertise and infrastructure that ensure a superbly crafted product. Each batch they produce keeps getting better, setting them up to become an essential supplier in specialty coffee roasting businesses around the world. I'm eagerly anticipating watching Bolivia's production increase and their beans reach more people!
Conclusion
Bolivia is a country with a unique terroir. Little coffee is produced here, but due to the long maturation, it has a complex taste.
Coffee farmers in Bolivia are confronted with numerous difficulties, not only due to the country being landlocked and having inadequate infrastructure, but also because more and more producers have resorted to cultivating coca instead. As a result of these hurdles, production volumes have witnessed a gradual decrease making it hard for coffee growers in this nation.
The lack of proper roads hampers transportation efforts while imports also remain complicated by their geographical location. This has all led to an increase in the popularity of growing coca as it is substantially easier and more profitable than other products such as coffee beans.
Although Bolivia's domestic coffee drinking is on the rise, their specialty industry has seen development in recent years. Since 2015, Taza Presidencial - a national coffee championship - was established to support local products at home and abroad. International organizations have launched projects dedicated to assisting Bolivian farmers. The country stands with an opportunity for increased production volumes of specialty-grade coffees alike!