Shuar

The Shuar members who contribute through this brand are scattered across communities throughout the canton of Morona. This area encompasses a wide range of elevations, from 300 masl (meters above sea level) up to 3,000 masl in the Sierra. However, the coffee farms are located between 1,100 masl and 2,000 masl. In response to deforestation that occurred in these areas in the past, the Ecuadorian government, in collaboration with the communities, initiated a process of transitioning from cattle farming to coffee cultivation. The production of coffee is carried out using an agroforestry system to protect the environment and prevent further deforestation. As part of this project, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock provided the community with seeds such as SL-28 and Obata, which is originally from Brazil. The farms operated by the Shuar community are typically small-scale, with an average size of 1 hectare. Some farmers have their own micro wet mill, while others transport their coffee to a nearby warehouse where they can process it using a shared wet mill.

The coffee production by the Shuar community is steeped in tradition. As an indigenous group, their belief system is closely intertwined with nature and the laws of the universe. They believe in superior beings, such as Etsa, who personifies the fight between good and evil, represented by Iwia. Other figures include Tsunki, who represents water; Ayumpum, a supernatural being who transports the spirits of Shuar who died heroically and gloriously to the realm of the gods; and Nunkui, a figure symbolizing fertility and women. At their farms, it is common for them to invoke and perform rituals to Nunkui for the growth of the plants and the bountiful harvest of their fruits.