Our decade of work in Bolivia didn’t start with coffee. It started with wildlife conservation and agroforestry, and a way out of a bad situation.
Before, in the Bolivian regions of Teoponte and Apolo, the land was being destroyed. Foreign interests were mining the land for gold, and cartels were using the mountainsides to grow coca plants to make cocaine. Because coca plants require full sun, growers cut down the entire forest to grow the crop, decimating entire ecosystems.
Mining destroys the land. Coca depletes the soil. The coca business depletes the soul.
Apolo is an all-indigenous area in Madidi (Amazonia). The people speak a form of Quechua that pre-dates the Incas. They’ve been doing agriculture for a long time, but these outside interests only mine and grow coca in areas where the land is not being used. So we needed to find a use for the land. People would like to protect their land, but they also need money. They needed a better alternative.
So 7 years ago, we partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society to help heal the land and give these indigenous communities a better way forward — and our Bolivian Cocaine for Coffee project was born. In order to create a model of ecological preservation and economic sustainability, we taught more than 35 indigenous families how to plant, cultivate, test, process, and cup specialty coffee.
Today, Cafe Kreyol and the Wildlife Conservation Society own and operate a quality control lab in the capital of La Paz. We’ve watched our Bolivian partners go from no training whatsoever to managing the quality of our award-winning coffees. We provide training equipment and supplies, not just to our producers but to any coffee growers in the area eager to improve their craft.
The result? I’m proud to have now served as a judge of the Bolivian Presidential Cup competition for five years, and Cafe Kreyol’s Bolivian coffees are delighting coffee drinkers and winning awards themselves.
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Our Bolivian coffee is extraordinarily versatile. It shines as a cold brew, espresso, drip, and more — with a unique orange acidity and notes of rich chocolate that serve as the calling card of the terroir. I firmly believe that Bolivia has the highest untapped potential of any origin in South America — and we’re helping the region and its people realize that potential.
Organic Bolivia Selva Verde™ – This smooth, creamy, heavy-bodied medium roast reminds drinkers of melted milk chocolate.
Cocaine For Coffee™ – This light roast features notes of mild lime and creamy toasted marshmallow for a sweet, smooth and well-rounded taste of the mountains.
Finca Calani – Bolivia produces just one hundred pounds of this natural process treasure each year. Winner of the 2021 Bolivia Presidential Cup, our light roast packs a bright burst of grape with strawberry and juicy lychee flavors that linger on the tongue and on your mind. We’ll be re-stocking this beautiful coffee in the fall- so stay tuned.
Home Roasters can also find our award-winning Bolivian coffees available green here.
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But we’re not resting on our laurels, and neither are the producers we partner with. We’ve begun creating the region’s first-ever honey and natural processes from the ground up. After countless hours of research and countless days of testing, these exciting new offerings will be available green from Cafe Kreyol in just a few short weeks.
When it comes to research, we take it seriously. We’ve partnered with North Carolina State University and the Wildlife Conservation Society to publish a study exploring why Bolivian coffees age slower than other origins, why these cells don’t degrade as quickly, and what that can teach us about coffee, the region, and cellular biology more broadly.
In a very real sense, our work in Bolivia represents Cafe Kreyol’s mission in a nutshell: equip local communities with the skills and knowledge they need to create sustainable economic independence, a freer life, and a truly extraordinary cup of coffee.
Taste the difference for yourself. We know you’ll be surprised in the best way.
Signed,
Joseph Stazzone
President- Cafe Kreyol
