The balance between land and people is the secret of one of the best organic coffees!
In this round of Meet the farmer we take you to discover “The Seven Elements”, an extraordinary project based in the Oxapampa region of Peru.
Extraordinary because it manages to combine the growth of coffee with important social projects through close collaborations with the local population. A project that manages to distribute value along the coffee chain.
Learn everything about this project with Giorgio Piracci, founder in 2014 of the non-profit organization 7Elements Peru. Giorgio is the soul of this project which has to do with coffee and much more.
Seven Elements grows and exports Specialty Coffee produced in Peru directly from the indigenous Yanesha communities of the Oxapampa-Ashaninka-Yanesha biosphere reserve according to the principles of permaculture. The project aims to preserve and regenerate the Amazon Forest.
Each of these coffees has its own unique history deeply linked to the territory from which it originates: from the microclimate, to the techniques and wisdom of the coffee farmers. A story made of quality, authenticity, respect and excellence.
Permaculture: sustainability that takes care of the earth and the people.
Permaculture land planning and management methodology are based on 3 elements: care for the earth, care for the people and fair sharing.
An approach to the management of a territory that aims to imitate nature instead of working against it, while organizing the forest in a productive way. Permaculture is much more than just sustainable agriculture: it is not just about limiting damage but also about regenerating the social fabric of the people involved in this territory.
In the industrial world, the growth of coffee has a strong environmental impact. Very often large companies work to the detriment of health and the environment in order to keep the prices of raw materials competitive on the market
The implemented techniques are of synergistic and syntropic agriculture, totally abolishing the use of herbicides, pesticides and any external input (fertilizers, including biological ones). Permaculture is all about circular economy, sociocracy and all other alternative tools to the consumerist paradigm which are useful for achieving true well-being and abundance.
Rebalancing the relationship between man and planet, ensuring a resilient future for the human population: it´s the great goal of this unique way of approaching coffee production.
Indigenous communities are the secret to a fair coffee
Having your territory at heart is the key to the relationship that The Seven Elements establishes with local communities. All employed coffee growers come from the areas in which they operate, for a total of 40 families involved. Continuous agricultural technical training courses are organized, dedicated to sustainability and workers’ rights.
The price at which the coffee is sold is agreed with local producers. Every year 10% of profits are reinvested in the communities, through the purchase of materials and equipment, improvement of crops and purchase of plants.
Specialty coffee with excellent characteristic
The microclimate and soil of the Oxapampa region are among the best in the world for the growth of a coffee that has excellent characteristics. The Seven Elements follows and manages every phase of coffee production and distribution: from sowing, through cultivation and processing, to delivery.
