Producer Story: Agua Azul Comité - San Antonio de Chingama, Cajamarca, Peru
In the highlands of northern Peru, a clear stream called "Agua Azul" trickles down steep slopes and into the lives of coffee farmers. It’s from this life-giving water that the name, and spirit, of a remarkable coffee collective was born.
A Commune of Twelve to Eighteen Producers
Hidden in the tiny village of San Antonio de Chingama in Cajamarca, a group of 12-18 smallholder farmers (varying year to year) formed the Agua Azul Comité. United by a desire to raise coffee quality and shared prosperity, they collaborate closely, combining forces to access better markets, training, and resources.
Brewing Growth: Solidario, Reforestation & Fairtrade
Through the Solidario program, members receive essential support: training, quality feedback, fair market access, financing, and connections to buyers. More recently, reforestation has become part of their mission, helping to restore soil health and preserve their mountainous environment. The cooperative is also organic and Fairtrade certified, ensuring that their impact is ethical, sustainable, and beneficial to both land and people.
High-Altitude, High-Quality Coffee
At around 1,890 meters above sea level, the cooperative cultivates a spectrum of traditional and experimental varietals like Caturra, Pache, Bourbon, and others like Typica, Catimor, Marsellesa, and even small trials of Geisha and Costa Rica 95. Their processing method is fully washed and dried under the Peruvian sun, often using small, locally managed micromills.
Harvest, Community & Cup
Harvesting occurs between May and September, with families, and sometimes neighbours, joining hands to pick ripe cherries. After pulping, fermenting, washing, and sun-drying, parchment is delivered to Origin Coffee Lab in nearby Jaén for traceability, quality control, and feedback to the producers.
Why It Matters
- Inspiring smallholder collaboration: The comité model transforms isolation into solidarity, allowing each farmer, often cultivating less than 3 hectares, to thrive.
- Stronger through partnership: Support from Origin Coffee Lab and the Solidario program empowers farmers with skills, quality insights, and finance.
- Rooted in sustainability: Organic practices, visual reforestation efforts, and eco-conscious farming safeguard land and livelihoods.
- Still growing: Whether 12 or 18, the members continue pushing boundaries - trialing new varietals and nurturing a future where quality and community go hand in hand.
