Ecuador APECAP Fair Trade Organic

This offering is comprised of lots from multiple contributing producers that are members of APECAP, located in the south of Ecuador. APECAP members often grow other crops on their farms such as yucca and plantain, and the farms are certified organic. APECAP was established in 2002, bringing together coffee farmers with generations of experience. The group has its own plant nursery where it grows a wide variety of trees to diversify the vegetation cover at members' farms. Fair Trade and organic-certified coffees from Ecuador are somewhat rare, but producers who adhere to these principles tend to be very committed to both the ecological and social health of their communities. Due to the country’s location on the Equator, the coffee needs to be harvested throughout the year. A branch will often contain all stages of the coffee’s developmental cycle in one: green coffee, ripe coffee, and blossoms side by side. This forces a farmer to hold some coffee, while processing and harvesting enough for export, and it also leads to higher labor costs due to the extended picking cycle.