Peru: Award-winning Tunki Coffee may stop being produced

More than 5,000 coffee and fruit producers from the province of Sandia, in Puno, claim that their exports will be limited after the Municipality of Sandia quits from the Bahuaja Sonene Park reforestation project.

The Municipality took this decision allegedly due to the pressures from a group of coca leaf producers, who in turn claim that this project will affect their interests, says César Rivas Peña, from the Junta Nacional del Café (Coffee Producers’ Guild).

The aforementioned project, which financing totaled more than S/.5.5 million soles (US $1.83 million), aims to reforest 2,000 hectares belonging to 1,700 organized producers and to create awareness among them about the need of preserving natural resources, so that they can access the certification for obtaining carbon credits.

Coffee from Sandia became recognized worldwide a few weeks ago, when “Tunki Coffee,” from Wilson Sucaticona’s production, was awarded with the highest Prize to Quality at the Coffees of the Year Competition 2010.