"Slow Climate Change" and "Slow Coffee" happening at 1000 faces coffee?

A Worldwide Effort is Underway to Create Continuous Rainforest Corridor in South America

QUITO, Ecuador- It's time to give old meaning to the term "hot spot." For 20 years, before the sustainability movement became trendy among the general public, the Maquipucuna Foundation continues to conduct conservation and sustainable development efforts.

Founded in 1988, the Maquipucuna Foundation began as a non-profit initiative dedicated to the conservation of Ecuador’s biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources. In addition, the Foundation seeks to support the economies of local communities with resource management programs, inter-institutional cooperation, and environmental education. Over two decades later, the Foundation has expanded its programs and facilities beyond ongoing conservation and research efforts to create a desirable rainforest haven for eco-tourists the world over.

Surrounding the gorgeous Maquipucuna Reserve, located in the heart of Ecuador’s cloud forest, communities have changed. The Yunguilla community turned their unsustainable practice of charcoal making into one of the most successful community run ecological corporations in Ecuador. The Santa Lucia cooperative turned their unsustainable timber exploitation into the most beautiful community run ecotourism operation. People from Santa Marianitas are cultivating orchids and bromeliads in-vitro.

Residents along the Choco Andean corridor communities are also benefiting. In the lowlands of the Corridor the Afro Ecuadorean Comuna Rio Santiago Cayapas, after centuries of struggle, thanks to Maquipucuna’s support, now own their 44,000 ha of ancestral territories. Many communities now are motivated to grow and sell quality shade-grown coffee and cocoa. Before Maquipucuna intervened, the quality was low and sales were down – both are being successfully turned around. Women have been trained in selling crafts to tourists. Hundreds have been skilled in areas including managing and using native bamboo. The Maquipucuna Foundation employs twenty full-time employees, with hundreds more reaping the benefits of a more self-sustaining community.

Currently Maquipucuna is spearheading efforts to create a unique denomination of origin brand, Chocó-Andes for the products and services of conservation of the Chocó Andean Region, just like Florida oranges are distinguished in the United States or Champagne is distinguished in Europe. In a similar way that there exists a Grand Cognac region that extends beyond the original Cognac region, the umbrella brand includes the coffee growing regions in the Andes, where Maquipucuna worked back in the 80’s, where growers besides quality, are committed to the environment. Maquipucuna acknowledges that birds and wildlife of the Chocó Andean region, specially the birds, migrate outside of the corridor, and as such, wants to extend the economic incentives for environmentally friendly production.

And it is a certainty that residents in the Chocó Andean Corridor of Ecuador are fortunate that the Maquipucuna Foundation came to the area. Trees abound, residents have learned trades and a community has drastically improved their infrastructure. Risk paid off, as a little piece of the world is indeed being saved. Slow Climate Change is a reality.

SlowCoffee® The Tasteful and Transparent Choco Andes® coffee – masterfully roasted by Ben Myers of 1000 faces coffee will be featured as the first of the Slow-Brands that will be launched to the USA market in 2009, as one which complies with all the slow-production criteria.

The Slow Production method is built on these values: Transparency, Simplicity, Consciousness.

“work smarter, not faster or harder, and become more aware of the process than the product”
Geir Berthelsen, The New York Times.

Slow travel is the concept of slowing down, stopping, and enjoying life with a wider perspective. Slow travel is a state of mind. In this we stress the act of slowing down, not nessesarily physically, but mentally being able to take in, and genuinely feel the intoxicating beauty of the World, of Ecuador, of Maquipucuna...

One of Maquipucuna’s important milestone has been the creation of the 1000 faces roaster, founded as an arm of the their work in the USA, especially to partner with producers from the Choco Andes Alliance in two of the best coffee producing areas of Ecuador: Pichincha and Loja provinces. Recently, they have developed an strategic partnership with the World Institute of Slowness based out of Norway, to release a product line entitled "Slow Coffee". All their Choco Andes coffee products will have a bar code which can be accessed on the www.slowcoffee.com website displaying info of every step involved in the journey from seed to cup to showcase slow production.

For more information about Maquipucuna visit www.maqui.org