Altos de Marfil

Among the highlands that surround the cantón of Puyango in the province of Loja, there is a Forest called Bosques de Marfil, or as the people around there also call it Bosques de Tagua, due to its abundance Tagua trees, a species of Palm found in South America. This natural reserve extends for more than 200 hectares and is located close to the Parroquia El Limo. The Bosques de Marfil provides life and income to the communities that inhabit the region. These Tagua trees provide a type of seed which the communities use to create all types of art crafts, which they sell to people in other provinces. These art crafts generate extra income for the communities and can help them survive during difficult economic times.

In the centre of this region, there is a mountain range called El Limo which goes from east to west. In the highlands of this mountain range we were privileged to find a group of approximately 44 small-scale producers. The coffee from Altos de Marfil is grown by these coffee growers, who have a very long tradition in coffee production, meaning that they grow traditional varietals, favourable for the production of specialty coffee. The average age of these producers is around 60 years. However, most of them are starting to introduce the business to their children in order to continue with the tradition and to pass it on to future generations. These new generation is eager to continue improving the quality of their product.