With the concept 'An encounter with nature', the coffee, cacao, jatata and essential oil producers of Origen-Chomateo SRL inaugurated their new cafeteria in the San Miguel neighborhood of the city of La Paz on August 2, with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Banco FIE.
The inaugural event, which was attended by representatives of the associations and broadcast virtually, was attended by 170 people interested in Origen's products, that take into account ecological production, high quality, organic certification, better income for producers' families and biodiversity conservation. These topics were widely covered by 20 media outlets.
With a new style and quality, Origen offers consumers from La Paz the opportunity to taste coffee beans that have been tested and roasted by specialized baristas from the associations themselves. Chocolate bars, soaps and Shan essential oils are also available. Everything is well presented with information about their origin and content. In a space adjacent to the cafeteria, a laboratory has been set up to test flavors and textures and develop products based on coffee and chocolate.
Origen is the result of alliances between producer associations (Café Ecológico Regional Larecaja, Chocolecos, Café de Apolo, Consejo Regional Tsimane Mosetene and Shan); technical and scientific institutions (Wildlife Conservation Society, Teko Kavi, Helvetas and NORDECO); and financial institutions (Banco FIE, Nordic Climate Facility, Darwin Initiative and Agrupación de Sociedades Asturianas de Trabajo Asociado y Economía Social). This joint effort aims to develop sustainable natural resource management models, revalue cultural traditions and guarantee the quality of organic products, benefiting more than 255 indigenous and farming families.
Origen plays an important role in the export of coffee and cocoa beans and finished products. It also contributes to strengthening the domestic market and encouraging urban consumption of products from forests that are well managed by indigenous communities.