Ecuador – Asociatia Procap

Country: Ecuador

Region: Puyango, Loja

Farm: 680 smallholder farmers

Farm area: 2,500 ha in total

Altitude: 800 – 2,000 m

Cooperative: PROCAP (Asociacion Agroartesanal de Productores de Café Altura Puyango)

Variety: Typica

Processing method: Washed

Grade: SHG EP

The production area for Ecuador SHB Loja BCS Organic coffee is located in Putango District, Loja Province, south of the mountainous area along the border with Peru. 90% of the Puyango region lies at an altitude between 800 m and 2,000 m above sea level. The climate is subtropical, and the vegetation is varied. The mountainous terrain and humid forests of Puyano provide optimal conditions for growing Arabica coffee under the shade of trees and help preserve biodiversity. The 680 smallholder farmers in the Puyano area have joined together in an association called PROCAP ”Asociacion Agroartesanal de Productores de Café Altura Puyango”. The cultivated area covers 2,500 ha, and annual production amounts to approximately 1,000 bags of 60 kg per year. PROCAP supports the cultivation of Arabica, which is optimally adapted to the region’s climate and requires only minimal fertilization, resulting in excellent coffee. To meet environmental criteria, the growers have developed an efficient composting process that returns natural compost nutrients to the ecosystem. The goal of coffee growers in Puyango is to produce the highest-quality washed Arabica coffee without harming the surrounding ecosystem and to build a solid economic foundation for their families in the future.