We started working with Edwin in 2025 although you could say we already started a relationship earlier. Edwin hit us up on Facebook in 2023, shortly after Ann-Kathrin had founded Caraya Coffee. He presented his finca “Tuki Tuki” to us and asked for a WhatsApp number. Since then we have been in lose contact, but as Caraya Coffee just had started, we were a bit reserved with new contacts and coffees we didn’t have a market for (yet).
Things turned out in such a way that by 2025 we felt confident enough to add new coffees to our portfolio and so we visited Edwin and his wife Cynthia for the first time on their finca in Calama, province of Caranavi. If you haven’t heard of Caranavi before, he are some facts you should know:
Caranavi is the biggest coffee region in Bolivia, known for its fertile soil and its abundant water resources. It lies at the foothills of the Andes. You will find lots of virgin forest here, wild animals like jaguars and howler monkeys, and also is it known for its numerous waterfalls. The forests are home to many different species of orchids, rare birds and butterflies. It is what is known as an "eco-hotspot," which makes it all the more important to work carefully and in harmony with nature. Our premise is to work with farmers who cultivate coffee in agroforestry systems only.
Arriving to Calama, Edwin’s home village, you can already feel the scent of sweet flowers and see many butterflies on your way to the finca. To arrive here, you have to take a 3-hour ride from Caranavi capital. You will cross some rivers and ride up and down many hills until arriving to Calama, a small community on 1.500 m altitude. Edwin’s home is directly next to his finca and it is almost at the centre of the village. The first thing you will notice, is the view: you will look over many African beds which Edwin puts on a terrace system, towards forests and coffee. A range of hills covered in primeval forest stretches out on the horizon. At its foot: even more forest—and probably coffee, though you can’t see it at first glance because it’s hidden among the trees.
Edwin points into the distance: “My sister’s property is over there on the left. And my brother’s is right next to it.” Edwin has 3 sisters and brothers working with coffee. One of them, his eldest brother Marcial, is the founder of the cooperative Mejillones. A well-known cooperative in the region. Edwin’s parents came to the region of Caranavi many decades ago in order to cultivate coffee and their work became a family heritage.
When sitting with Cynthia, Edwin’s wife, and his two children, he tells us the story of their finca’s name. “The finca has not always been this one here. I expanded, but in the first years we had to walk to a strip of land a couple of kilometers away from here. We didn’t have a car. So it was walking at least 2 hours a day, often more when we had to carry things. My wife and I always had that dream to export our coffee. We worked hard for that dream. Even when she was pregnant, we still made all the way to work and take care of our cafetal. We were aware of how important it is to give the plants everything they need when we want them to produce well and steadily. It was absolute team work! One day, Cynthia said: Edwin, haven’t you seen that pair of toucans on the tree? They are here and observe us each time we are working. And it was true: the toucans accompanied us. So we decided to give our finca a name: Tuki Tuki.”
After some years, Edwin and Cynthia were able to buy themselves a car. They started to extend the coffee in front of their house in order to have more control. “You have to be there day and night. When it rains, you have to cover it. You have to move the cherries and also measure their humidity.” With the time, they grew new trees also directly in front of their house and nowadays they have those two strips of land: one immediately in front of their house and the other, original one.
Edwin is a very sympathetic person, most of the time boldly smiling. When he talks about coffee, his eyes glow and you notice his passion. Besides growing and processing coffee, he also has made a name for himself as “semillero”, as seed breeder. He likes experimenting with new varieties which are not very common in the region like Arara from Brasil or SL-28. He was one of the first farmers cultivating Geisha and made it more known in Caranavi. He is exactly as careful with the seeds as with his coffee plants so everyone likes buying from him, as his seeds are known for good quality.
Besides coffee, music is what drives Edwin on. His parents originally came from the Altiplano region to Caranavi and so they brought their instruments. The pan flute, guitar and bombo, a typical drum from the region, are integral parts of Edwin’s life and together with his brothers and sisters he plays in an ensemble in the community of Calama. This year they have composed a coffee song welcoming all new visitors on their finca. Here is where you don’t only experience excellent coffee, but also warm hospitality.
