History & Origins
The Tunki Cooperative is part of CECOVASA (Central de Cooperativas Agrarias Cafetaleras de los Valles de Sandia), formed in 1970 when a group of Peruvian coffee farmers in the Lake Titicaca region came together to avoid selling their beans to exploitative middlemen . CECOVASA was founded by five cooperatives with the objective of exporting directly as a group, obtaining better prices and sharing costs, as before this, farmers sold their beans to local traders who typically paid less than half the market price . The name “Tunki” refers to the village where they grow coffee: Tunkimayo , taking its identity from this indigenous farming community in the Sandia valleys.
Today CECOVASA has grown to encompass eight cooperatives grouping together 4,581 producers , with ten coffee cooperative communities comprised mostly of Aymara and Quechua indigenous peoples near the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park and the Tambopata-Candamo Nature Reserve . The cooperative’s reputation was solidified when Tunki coffee won the world’s best coffee award at the SCAA Expo in 2010 , followed by selection by the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) to participate in a London fair of the world’s best coffees, which immediately drove the price of Tunki coffee up to $1,000 per quintal .
Terroir & Growing Conditions
The Tunki Cooperative farms coffee at altitudes ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 meters above sea level around Tunkimayo , situated in the stunning Tambopata Valley of the Peruvian Andes . CECOVASA’s members live primarily in two valleys—Tambopata and Inambari, with the majority of farmer members in the Tambopata valley being Aymara while the majority in the Inambari valley are Quechua . One-third of the farmers have land in the buffer zone of the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park , positioning their cultivation within one of Peru’s most biodiverse regions.
As typical for Peru, coffee is cultivated under shade , with natural shade protection for coffee trees growing on the fringes of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park . This coffee is produced using traditional farming methods, free from harmful pesticides and chemicals, with beans nurtured and washed with pure spring water, then hand-harvested by local Quechuan and Aymara speaking families who have lived and worked in the area for generations, in harmony with the land . The member producers average farm size is two hectares , representing the smallholder structure typical of Peruvian coffee production.
Processing & Production
Coffee farming is a family business where members of the family take care of the harvest and deliver the cherries to the cooperative’s central processing center, where cherries are mechanically depulped, fermented in small tanks for up to 20 hours, then washed and laid to dry on the patio . Once dried, the cooperative collects the parchment coffee and delivers it to CECOVASA, with all Tunki coffee kept separate from the production of other regions to preserve its prized flavor profile . The harvest lasts from March to July, extending to November in higher zones .
The producers cultivate mainly Typica (70%), next to Caturra and Bourbon , with farms usually keeping some Catimor cultivation as a safeguard against Roya (coffee leaf rust), with Catimor being most popular at lower altitudes . CECOVASA’s production is triple certified—Fairtrade, organic and Rainforest Alliance . This coffee is attached to the Puno Coffee and Conservation Project, which supports biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the Sandia Valleys through a collaboration between the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and CECOVASA .
Cup Profile & Tasting Notes
Tunki boasts a superb floral aroma with sweet chocolate and treacle notes, enhanced with undertones of citrus and red berries . Medium roasted to bring out sweet chocolate notes with undertones of citrus and red berries , the coffee presents rich floral tones characteristic of its high-altitude terroir. Notes of chocolate, orange, panela, and dried fruits create a complex flavor profile that reflects both the traditional processing methods and the unique microclimate of the Sandia valleys.
Producer information indicates Cupping Scores of 86 Points for quality lots, with the cooperative being five-time winners of the national quality coffee competition (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012) . The coffee presents as a lovely well-balanced washed organic coffee from the Andes, with notes of maple and chocolate with subtle notes of sweet lemon to finish . Tunki is described as a beautifully balanced 100% Arabica, single origin, premium coffee originating from the Peruvian Andes , offering a distinctive expression of the indigenous farming traditions and exceptional terroir of the Sandia region.