Alex Roque established Finca Roque, a seven-hectare farm, in 2017. On three hectares of the land, he cultivates 4,200 Red Catuai and Typica trees, harvesting them by hand from June to September. He processes his coffees at the farm applying many different methodologies, and dries the coffee on raised beds.
Anaerobic - Natural Process
It is important to note this coffee was intentionally processed utilizing anaerobic fermentation. In general, placing freshly-harvested cherries inside a sealed container or bag of some sort for a period of time will create a flavor impact. We find those anaerobically-fermented coffees often exhibit an increase in the intensity of fruit and acidity and a slight increase in the body. Nonetheless, the anaerobic fermentation process has a distinct impact on the outcome of the flavor profile.
After the anaerobic fermentation then the coffee is sun- dried for 15-20 days at the farm level. Natural processing is common among smallholders in Bolivia.
Region
The La Paz department is the most well-known coffee growing region in Bolivia. This North-Western department shares a border with Peru. It is divided into 20 provinces and 85 municipalities. This region is known for its extreme terrain from the Andes mountains and rich water sources.
Coffee in Bolivia
The first records of coffee in Bolivia come from the 18th century through estates in the Yungas region, grown and consumed by the landowners. Later plantations began in the Yungas, but it was never the main crop. Coca leaves grew very well in the region and, at the start of the 20th century, made up 95% of the agricultural market in Bolivia. This prompted a movement to diversify crops to avoid complete dependence on coca production. With a significant increase in global coffee consumption from around 1970, coffee production expanded more intensively in areas like Caranavi and La Asunta. In the 1980s, with the passage of Law 1008, which regulated coca and controlled substances and defined traditional and surplus coca cultivation areas, coffee was once again considered an economic alternative to replacing these crops. In the following years, several cooperatives and associations were created that would dominate a significant portion of coffee production compared to independent producers. During the 1990s, production levels peaked at around 156,400 60 kg sacks.
Since the record production in the 1990s, Bolivia’s exports have wavered. There was a steep decline to an average of 57,420 60 kg sacks of green coffee by 2016. Despite the lower volume, profits have not decreased terribly, thanks to the shift to primarily fair trade and organic markets. Today, Bolivian coffee production is likely on the rise again. Coffees from the country are in high demand in the specialty market, and local consumption is increasing. New cafes are opening exponentially in larger cities and towns. In recent years, young professionals with knowledge of the "third wave of coffee" have emerged, and more and more people are becoming interested in this topic daily. 12,000 families in the Caranavi depend on coffee as their primary source of income.
Coffee production is also being promoted as part of the National Strategy for Sustainable Integral Development. It is one of the prioritized sectors under the strategic guideline of fostering, promoting, and consolidating the production of competitive agro-industrial products with potential for national and international markets.
Bolivia is ready to enter this new phase, but it requires a comprehensive effort involving everyone from the producer to the barista in pursuit of the common good, which will turn Bolivia into a reference point in the specialty coffee world
