In the La Convencion district of Cusco, Peru, cooperatives have long been the bridge between farmers and global markets.
A generation ago, coffee production in Peru’s remote Andean mountains was nothing less than extractive. Many of the communities which are now recognized for producing the best coffee Peru has to offer were completely disregarded. To this day, farms remain very small, with most farmers only overseeing a few acres of land. The result was a system that removed identity and dignity, and in return sold “bulk Peruvian” coffee to major roasting companies globally. Without recognition, without infrastructure, training, or investment, farmers in communities like Pacaybamba were left with few options: sell the coffee to whoever has cash at whatever the going rate is. This isn’t even to mention the danger and violence caused by military groups throughout the 80’s and 90’s that displaced so many families. In those days, coffee didn’t offer hope, it was a part of surviving.
Today, the situation is very different, largely because of the formation of cooperatives like Incahuasi, founded by Claudio Ortiz Osis in 2005. Claudio was well aware of the monumental challenges to overcome: hellish logistics and driving to remote communities for endless hours on shifty mountain roads, manually loading coffee into his truck and driving hours upon hours back to Ayacucho. The work was thankless, relentless, and the truth is most people would’ve given up. But Claudio’s dedication to farmers began a movement that’s blossomed into global recognition. Today, the Incahuasi cooperative represents hundreds of farmers through the Cusco and Ayachucho departments of Peru. Supported by one of the most advanced agronomy teams in Peru, Incahuasi’s redefining what Peruvian coffee can be, both in terms of sheer quality and creating genuine livelihoods for farmers.
During those early years, a very small handful of farmers made up the formal cooperative, and their legacy remains decades later. One of these farmers was Feliciano Huayllas, whose son, Gilbert Huayllas, we had the incredible opportunity to meet and spend time with on his farm.
Llaqta Pata (translated as “the village on the ridge or high village), in the village of Pacaybamba sits beneath the behemoth Mount Choqesafra, a snow capped mountain surrounded by endless miles of forests. Here Gilbert and his family still cultivate coffee on the same land his father had previously, continuing the family tradition and growing the size and infrastructure of the farm. During our visit, Gilbert recalled the history of the farm to us: “Back in the day we planted only the Typica variety, and at lower altitudes, but after roya came, we moved the farm higher, and the cooperative helped us with planting new varieties, and training us with good practices.” Today the farm has expanded to 5 acres, with a total output of 80 bags annually among various quality levels and varieties.
Among these new varieties was Gesha Inka (also known as SL9, though the specifics of this variety’s origin and genetic makeup is still murky). Little did the cooperative and the many farmers who adopted this variety know that it would become one of the most exciting, flavorful, and special varieties cultivated in the entire world. Gilbert’s placed his bets on Gesha Inka, and now cultivates more than 4000 trees of the variety, continuously pruning and fertilizing the trees throughout the year to ensure stable quality and yields.
The Wonderstate team at lunch after hiking to Llaqta Pata, and listened to these stories, met Gilbert family, and had the amazing opportunity to purchase his coffee directly from the cooperative with an incredible premium for the quality of his coffee. In fact, in 2025 Gilbert’s coffee placed third in the prestigious Cup of Excellence competition, further solidifying Gilbert’s reputation as a premier farmer in an area full of remarkable coffees.
Llaqta Pata is a coffee that holds memory, and vision for the future. It’s the result of decades of collaboration and dedication, from Don Claudio and Faliciano, and from Gilbert, his spouse Erlinda, and his children, whose lives his work is all for.
