Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Bolivian organic coffee farmers target niche markets

In the green and misty hills of Bolivia's tropical Yungas region, thousands of farming families are working together to get better prices for their organic, high-altitude coffee.

May is the start of the harvest for the Yungas cooperatives and red coffee berries hang heavy on their branches in the shade of mandarin trees and banana plants. Everywhere, families are at work, picking, hulling and sun-drying the coffee beans on which their rural way of life depends.

"Our coffee compares well with coffee from Jamaica or Central America but it's not so well-known. We still need to earn the confidence of buyers," said expert coffee taster and grower Martin Oluri, adding that the region's coffee is characterized by chocolate, honey and citrus flavors.

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