Cafe Gourmet - 500g

Marlon Falcones, a 5th generation coffee producer, started Alicia Roque with the vision to process a unique genetic variety that has been preserved within his family for nearly 100 years in hopes to share part of his patriarchal heritage in the local market.

Motivated to investigate the supply chain issues plaguing local producers, Marlon witnessed and experience exploitative acts at every stage in the supply line that he and his community members were a part of while processing independently.

***These exploitative issues included acts of theft, price manipulation, payment withholding, integrating poorer quality coffees into higher quality varieties, and governmental associations that were taking out bank loans in the names of the producers to buy machinery that producers never had access to utilize. ***

In 2019, his first year processing, Marlon proved himself to be competitive in the local market by winning the best cup in Northern Manabi, beating out the gold cup winner of Ecuador the year prior. In 2020, Marlon took the slow year to experiment with different fermentation techniques, created and provided organic fertilizer to community members to improve soil quality with improved water return, and researched international markets. He also formed an alliance with non-profit foundation, The Chain Collaborative, which supports emerging leaders in coffee wanting to sustainably develop their agricultural communities. In 2021, Marlon’s coffee scored 88 points and entered the speciality market quickly becoming one of the best coffees in the region of Manabi. He supports his community by purchasing their coffee for the best prices in Manabi which is double what other buyers offer.

Now, with a focused team and over 100 members supporting Marlon’s vision to uplift his community by providing vital market and agricultural knowledge, Alicia Roque is ready to thrive in the specialty coffee industry. Alicia Roque seeks to advocate for community led decision making, organic agriculture and the protection of the basic needs of fellow farmers. This includes access to medical care, a market meeting the cost of production, and youth education in hopes of developing local livelihoods and processing spectacular coffee.