28 • Ecuador • C&CI May 2013
Certification could open up potential of Galapagos coffee T
he Galapagos Islands is a province of Ecuador, approximately 560 miles from continental Ecuador, and has a total area of 3,100 square miles. The islands have a population of 25,000 people, and are home to a unique collection of flora and fauna, qualifying them as a UNESCO heritage site. Agriculture became a significant economic activity more than 100 years ago when the first large-scale colonization of the islands took place. The islands’ geographic isolation led to a dearth of pests and diseases affecting newly-introduced crops, and good weather conditions helped support agriculture. Farmers were soon growing crops such as corn, guava, oranges and coffee, among many others. About two per cent of the islands’ total area is authorised for use as agricultural land.
Small area
devoted to coffee According to Conservation International,
coffee was first introduced in 1879, on San Cristobal Island. The variety introduced was Bourbon, and this variety is still the predominant one grown on the islands, a fact that has advantages and disadvantages - Bourbon’s productivity is low, but on the other hand, since this variety is not grown commercially elsewhere, it adds value to local production and brings coffee grown on the islands into the ‘specialty’ category.
Coffee is important for the economy on the Galapagos Islands and for conservation efforts because it fetches a high price. Rich volcanic soils and almost ideal weather conditions (mild temperatures, high levels of sunlight, and adequate rain) make it possible for islanders to grow coffee. The coffee grown on the islands is also organic, because farmers do not use agrochemicals.
Coffee is mainly produced on two Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. According to a 2010 report
by Conservation International, there are about 239 hectares of coffee on San Cristobal, 214 hectares on Santa Cruz, along with 35 hectares on Isabela, a total of around 488 hectares. Other estimates claim that the total coffee area on the islands is actually much larger, around 825 hectares. Except for the relatively large operation by the Expigo Company on San Cristobal, the area planted with coffee is mostly unmanaged. In 2009, Ecuador’s Ministry of Agriculture estimated that the total number of coffee plants on the three islands was 648,840, and was grown by about 80 farmers. Average plant density is about 1,332 plants per hectare. Unfortunately, productivity, at about 400 kg per hectare, is very low. Thus, total production on the islands amounts to around 200 tonnes per annum. Government of Ecuador statistics for 2012 estimated production on the Galapagos islands at 450 tonnes. A private study has estimated that existing production could be tripled in as little as three years if better agricultural practices were implemented.
Efforts to increase production since 2008 have been isolated.
The average farm on Santa Cruz is about 6.5 hectares in area. Farms are located at an altitude between 180m and 450m above sea level. On Santa Cruz, most farmers are members of the Santa Cruz Coffee Growers Association (Asociación de Cafetaleros de Santa Cruz). According to a 2010 survey by Conservation International, coffee is the most important source of income for 80 per cent of farmers on that particular island.
Shade grown
The same report states that 82 per cent of growers use a system of big trees to protect coffee plants from the sun and keep humidity high, which also benefits the ecosystem around coffee plants. Native and non-native trees are used to provide shade. Scalecia pedunculata, a native tree, is said to have great potential to be planted in combination with coffee, and the Inter- American Development Bank ran a project called ‘Galapagos Conservation Coffee’ in
Farming coffee on the Galapagos Islands has plenty of potential but farmers need certification to be assured of high prices
A report by the US Department of Agriculture’s Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) has highlighted some of the potential opportunities for coffee farmers on the Galapagos Islands, and the ongoing challenges they face commercializing their coffee
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