Our coffee and growers
We are specialised in organic specialty coffee which we import directly from growers, mostly in Peru. Peru is ideally suited for specialty coffee with much organic rich soils at high altitude and good rainfall. We also import directly from Sumatra and lately India.
Shop nowWhy organic
Coffee is originally a shade plant and is perfect for organic agriculture. It is one of the easiest crops for organic growing and with the right companion plantings it can produce a higher income for the grower, better coffee for you and a better environment for all. Coffee is the ultimate product to inspire people to choose and promote organic agriculture.
IncaFé Organic Coffee’s coffee beans are grown in forested ecosystems where native trees, canopy shade, and an abundance of insect and bird life all contribute to healthy plants in fertile soil, producing full-flavoured coffee beans.
Trees stop soil erosion, trap moisture, create stable microclimates, provide continuous compost and nutrition, harbour animals, maintaining a healthy natural balanced ecosystem. The result is healthy, nutritious soil that allow organic coffee plants’ roots grow deeper and suck up more nutrients, yelding slow-grown, full flavoured coffee beans.
The sad bit is that only about 3% of the world's coffee production is organic and many areas are now hard to convert due to soil degradation. However climate change is forcing coffee growers i to restore tree covers n some areas. Once the trees are re-established they are only a small step from going fully organic.
Why organic
This is a Geisha plant producing the most expensive coffee in the world with flavours that hold between green tea and coffee, with some spectacular notes. Geisha is one of various heirloom species that produce rich flavours and that loves organic conditions. You can see how the cherries ripen at different times, another reason why they are suited for organics. Due to the trees you cannot machine harvest coffee which then makes organic plantations more suitable for specialty coffees that need to be picked by hand anyway as to select the ripe cherries.
Organic plants in general have deeper roots and get water and nutirition from deeper in the ground. Add to that the protection from trees and natural nutrition. Over the years we have found that the depth in flavour of our coffees is very consistent also between dry and wet, and cool and hot years. It is a big factor in our consistency.
Much of the flavour is created at the farm
When we met Felix Marin in 2006 at the Coopchebi cooperative we straight away started discussing specialty coffees and different processing methods since almost 100% of the Peruvian coffee was just washed coffee at the time. We guaranteed to buy all his trials at prices that reflected the extra work and Felix loved to look for added value products that fitted the organic growing conditions in much of central Peru. When the coffee cherries are harvested they can be dried without being washed at all, dried after some washing (both forms of natural processed), dried after taking off the skin, anaerobically fermented after taking off the skin (both forms of so called honey processed), fermented in tanks with water with most of the flesh (mucilage) on the pit (semi-washed) or fermented in tanks with most of the flesh removed prior (washed coffee) The differences in flavour are quite stunning. Now, each variety can be subjected to these different processes and suddenly you can have over 20 very differently flavoured coffees from the same farm. There is a lot of work involved and for example natural processed coffee needs to be turned a couple of times a day for up to 30 days!
Add to this typical soil and climate differences and for example from a large country like Peru you can get almost any coffee profile. However, there are soil and climate conditions that just don't exist in Peru and that favour some unique coffees. In particular the coffees from Ethiopia are unique.
Roasting and quality control
Although there is a bit of an art to it, and the equipment is important, roasting is pretty straight forward. We don't add anything to the coffee so it is very much a case of ensuring the goodness from the farm is baked the best way. Once you have the roast profile established, it requires a bit of tweaking providing the green beans are consistent.
This is where our long term relationship with the growers kick in and the coffee being organic. This ensures that there is little difference between batches and seasons. We roast each type of coffee separately and blend afterwards. Establishing the blends is of course a bit of an art ensuring flavours of different types of coffee complement each other and fuse together. Each batch is cupped.
Permata Gayo
Permata Gayo Cooperative was founded in central Aceh, Indonesia with 50 members in 2006 after many people in the region returned to their land after years of civil conflict and the Xmas tsunami. Awaiting assistance from the government & NGO’s, the farmers worked towards Organic & Fairtrade certification. They received organic certification in 2007 and fair trade certification from FLO-Cert in 2009.
They have brought the full process of coffee production from farmer to final export under one roof, thus delivering better quality and tracebility. Today, Permata Gayo Cooperative has more than 3000 members from 44 villages. As a result of their growth and improvements, the coop has been able to share more of the final price of coffee with their farmers. Many of the farms are small and work needs to be done collectively. The famous labour intense wethulled processing that they do gives lower acidity and more body to the coffee.
Coopchebi
Much of our Peruvian coffee comes from COOPCHEBI. This cooperative was formed from a conglomerate of plantations from mostly 6 brothers, plantation workers and a number of cousins in 2001. The original plantation was set up by Hector Marin and his wife Rosa in 1942.
In 1990 the predecessor of COOPCHEBI was the first grower’s group in Peru to export their own coffee in order to add value. They were one of the first to become fully organic certified and in tradition of their father accepted organic agriculture and looking after the environment as a social and moral responsibility.
COOPCHEBI continues to lead with energy and vision of offering quality and continuous innovation to conquer new customers and new tastes whilst holding on to their social and environmental principles that happy growers and communities and good environmental conditions create great coffee and good people. Continuously we try to include small and indigenous communities.
In addition we source Peruvian coffee from the south and north to extend the season.