Founded in 1990, the Asociación de Caficultores de Taipiplaya (ASOCAFE) is one of Bolivia's longest-established coffee producer organizations. Located in the Nor Yungas of La Paz, the association was created to help smallholder farming families improve coffee quality, strengthen market access, and build a more sustainable future for coffee production in one of Bolivia's most important coffee-growing regions. Today, ASOCAFE continues to support hundreds of producers through technical assistance, quality improvement programs, and collective commercialization.
Taipiplaya sits within the humid mountain landscapes of the Yungas, where warm tropical air from the Amazon rises into the Andes, creating a climate characterized by frequent cloud cover, abundant rainfall, and extended coffee maturation. These conditions have made the Yungas the historic center of Bolivian coffee production, with generations of farming families cultivating coffee alongside bananas, citrus, avocados, and other perennial crops that contribute to diversified farm economies.
Beyond coffee marketing, ASOCAFE has invested heavily in strengthening the entire production chain. The association provides agronomic support, harvest and post-harvest training, quality evaluation, organic certification management, and research into biological disease control and sustainable farming practices. In recent years, the organization has also expanded into value-added products, including roasted coffee, cascara, and organic fertilizers, creating additional opportunities for producer families while keeping more value within the region.
The cooperative's long-term commitment to quality has helped position Taipiplaya among Bolivia's most respected specialty coffee origins. Through continued investment in selective harvesting, improved processing infrastructure, and producer education, member farms have earned recognition in quality competitions and established relationships with specialty buyers around the world. These achievements reflect a broader philosophy that exceptional coffee is built through continuous learning, collaboration, and shared investment across the entire producer community.
This organization has spent more than three decades helping smallholder producers adapt to changing markets while preserving the agricultural traditions of the Yungas. Its story is one of steady growth, technical innovation, and the belief that long-term success comes from strengthening both individual farms and the communities that surround them.
Tasting Notes: Brown Sugar, Graham, Cocoa
Grower: ASOCAFE
Region: Taipiplaya, La Paz
Altitude: 1500-1850 MASL
Process: Fully Washed
Variety: Typica, Red Catuai
Roast Level: Medium
