Sol de la Mañana

The story

The Sol de la Mañana program was established in 2014 by the Rodriguez family of Agricafe after 15 neighboring producers requested assistance. The initiative was created to prevent the decline of the Bolivian coffee industry by providing a seven-year mentorship program for smallholder farmers. It functions as a school for producers, focusing on agronomy, quality control, and long-term economic sustainability.

Challenges

Bolivian coffee production has faced a rapid decline, with annual exports dropping significantly over the last decade. Producers also face labor-intensive harvesting requirements, as achieving high quality often necessitates multiple picking passes across the plants.

Innovations

The program provides technical training in nursery management, pruning, and pest prevention to increase efficiency. It also facilitates the transfer of advanced techniques and processing methods developed on the Rodriguez family's own farms to smallholder participants.