Bolivian Coffee

The tropical Yungas region alongside the Andes dominates Bolivian coffee production, where it is mostly grown by indigenous Aymara families working tiny farms. While these farms tend to be grouped together in settlements and managed by cooperatives, the size of these farms and their remoteness means they have a very low yield. This low-yield could be Bolivian coffee’s strength: as higher yielding but lower quality crops have never been widely grown, so what is grown is of a high standard.

A lack of resources and an unstable market has meant that the Bolivian focus has been on more profitable cash crops, but initiatives like the Cup of Excellence has sparked a new generation of quality conscious producers and investment in processing stations.