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ECUADOR
FINCA MAPUTO
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FLAVOR OVERVIEW
CANTALOUPE, MALT, WHITE PEPPER
NUTS AND BOLTS
FARM/COOP:
REGION:
RANCHO TIO EMILIO
LA PERLA, NANEGAL, PICHINCHA
VARIETAL:
PROCESS:
TYPICA
FULLY WASHED AND SUN DRIED ON AFRICAN BEDS
ALTITUDE:
1350 MASL
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PRODUCER STORY
Maputo is owned and operated by Henry and Verena Gaibor. Henry, a veteran
surgeon and war doctor and Verena a midwife; they met in Bujumbura, Burundi
while volunteering for Doctors Without Borders and United Nations. They have
since retired and dedicated themselves to producing excellent coffee. Maputo is a
very new farm with only three years in production and is quickly growing year over
year. Henry recently acquired the neighboring farm, La Nube, which will add
significantly to next year’s production. Henry is extremely methodical with his
coffee production and is just as dedicated and passionate as he once was with his
profession. He is doing everything right when it comes to picking, processing, and
drying and has his farm divided into different lots with different varieties. We are
lucky to offer examples of both the SL28 and the Typica this year and cannot wait
to have future offerings from this rising coffee star.
ORIGIN INFO
Coffee was introduced to Ecuador in the early 19th century and was one of their
top export crops into the 1970s. Ecuador has everything it takes to grow great
Arabica coffee for the specialty market, including high altitude, great soil and
weather. However, the 80s brought swift decline, the drop in coffee prices meant
tons of coffee went unharvested. Instead Ecuador has focused on producing lower
grade Robusta coffee for the soluble (instant) market even going so far as to
import cheap coffee from Vietnam. Interestingly, because it is cheaper for the
soluble industry to buy coffee from Vietnam than from it’s own domestic market,
Ecuador imports more coffee than it produces on it’s own soil. With the governments focus on high sales rather than high quality there has been little support
given to farmers to actually improve production. It is a long road back to producing
quality beans; many farms have been left untended, unfertilized, unpruned for
years. Fortunately, the efforts of a small number of farmers are beginning to pay off.
Interest in Ecuadorian coffee has grown and today some of the most respected
roasters and importers in the country are buying from Ecuador.