21. Peru – Gonzilla Estate

This coffee comes from Gonzilla Estate in the Peruvian Andes.

It is grown between approximately 1,100 and 1,800 metres above sea level, where cooler mountain conditions slow the ripening of coffee cherries and help develop greater sweetness and complexity.

This lot is produced from the classic Typica variety and is wet processed. Wet processing removes the coffee cherry’s fruit before the beans are fermented, washed clean and then dried, usually producing a cleaner and brighter cup.

The coffee is graded G1 and carries both Organic and Fairtrade certification.

Peru’s coffee sector is overwhelmingly built around small farms. More than 200,000 coffee farms operate across the country, with the average holding only a little over one hectare and the majority of production coming from smallholders. Coffee is grown mainly along the eastern slopes of the Andes, where steep landscapes and remote locations can make transport and access to markets difficult. Cooperatives therefore play a particularly important role in Peru. They can help producers combine volumes, improve quality, obtain certification, access finance and reach international buyers.

Peru has also become one of the world’s most important origins for certified Organic and Fairtrade arabica, making sustainability certification a particularly visible part of its coffee industry.

Gonzilla Estate therefore combines classic high altitude Andean coffee with independently verified Organic and Fairtrade standards.