Ecuador
Identity record
Capital city
Quito Coffee area
60,000ha Average farm area
1.2ha Geography
Arabica is grown from 1.200 masl to up to 2.500 masl; 100 masl to 400 masl in Galapagos Islands. Robusta is grown in low lands in Amazonia and Pacific Coast Historical regions Manabí, Loja, Zaruma New coffee belt Noroccidente de Pichincha (Chocó andino) and Loja (Southern dry lands) Harvest period
May - July Secondary harvest
June - September Number of coffee growers
50000 Number of people living from the coffee industry
200000 Number of harvests per year
1 - 2 Bag production per year
300000 Main varieties
Bourbon, Castillo, Caturra, Colombia, Robusta, Sidra, Typica
Coffee production areas
Click on the area you want to observe
Loja
The Loja region is located in the south of Ecuador, at the foot of the Andes, on the border with Peru, near the Piura Forest. For the people of Loja, coffee is more than a product, it's a heritage. Coffee has been grown in the region for almost 200 years.
Loja has a well-defined dry season from July to November, which is ideal for farming. At lower altitudes there are valleys and plains where sugar cane and corn are grown. In the mid-altitude zone, there are mountains with coffee plantations, traditionally grown using wet methods, and cattle ranches, while at highaltitudes cattle are the mainstay.
The extraordinary longevity of its inhabitants has earned Vilcabamba the nickname of the Valley of the Centenarians. This has given rise to a myth of an idyllic valley, which has led many retired Americans to invest in the coffee plantations, particularly in Malacatos, in search of 'eternal youth'.
Pichincha
Located on the Pacific slopes of the Andes at an altitude of between 1200 and 2400 metres above sea level, Pichincha straddles both hemispheres (latitude 0°, 0', 0''). Between lush vegetation and arid desert, it is a region of contrasts. It is home to the Chocó Andino Nature Reserve, which boasts the greatest diversity of flora and fauna in the country.
Pichincha is a new player in the production of speciality coffees. Concentrated in the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of over 1700m, small-scale producers wanted to diversify their cattle and sugar cane activities with Arabica plantations. So they planted a number of prestigious botanical varieties, resulting in some of the best coffee in the world!
Harvest periods
| Region | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loja | ||||||||||||
| Pichincha |
The coffee sector from the country
The sector
Ecuador produces both Arabica and Robusta. Coffee used to be part of the top ten exported products but disapeared from statistics during the last two decades while cocoa production was getting every year higher.
The coffee region is mountainous and 90% of producers own small lands (1.2 hectares on average). During the last decade a specialty coffee production arose boosted by high prices and a new type of farmer appeared taking advantage of an unique availability of fancy varieties (Typica Mejorado, Sidra, Nestlé) and special growing conditions.
Geography
Main actors
60% of all coffee exports comes from El Café a soluble producer. 5 firms export more than 90%. The first green coffe exporter (Fapecafe) is ranked 6th with 2% of all coffee export incomes. Due to the high prices, some producers export themselves by air (direct trade).
Export Ports
There are several harbours : Guayaquil, Manta, Machala and Esmeraldas all on Pacific coast.
Belco, Ecuador
From 2006 on, Belco is importing one or two containers yearly mainly filled with estate and micro lots.
Sourcer's word
Our Belco Colombia team has developed activities that effectively and efficiently include everyone involved in the value chain, from the farm and producers through to coffee export. Our aim is to generate value and cultivate special relationships built on trust, that will develop and grow stronger over time. We have set up projects, programmes, training, coaching, knowledge-sharing initiatives, academic conferences, field visits, cuppings, internal (for our colleagues) and external (for our customers) visits in different regions, all in the name of Belco. 2021 has been a year rich in learning and experiences, which are helping us to develop our brand. Our branch is a useful platform for gaining a foothold in the Andean region, as a producer of specialty coffee in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela. Belco Colombia has been responsible for sourcing, quality and transition activities for these origins since 2022.
Diego Zamora, Belco Branch Manager in Armenia.
The producers
Arnaud Causse
Angel Reyes
Leopoldo Andrade
Mateo Patiño, Gilda Carrascal, Andy Davalos
Coffees product in Ecuador
The first association to implement the washed coffee process in the region
