{"id":14396,"date":"2025-10-10T12:02:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T03:02:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/?post_type=producers&p=14396"},"modified":"2025-10-10T12:02:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T03:02:43","slug":"finca-paraiso","status":"publish","type":"producers","link":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/narratives\/producers\/finca-paraiso\/","title":{"rendered":"Finca Paraiso"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In Alto Beni, Bolivia\u2014an area better known for its cacao production\u2014there\u2019s a coffee farm cultivating what could be described as \u201cundiscovered gems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That farm is Finca Para\u00edso, run by Juan Pinto and Luc\u00eda N\u00fa\u00f1ez, a couple who began growing coffee in 2018. Alongside their main variety, Catuai, they also grow Java and Geisha, and their coffees have been featured on TYPICA since 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Since earning second place in their first-ever appearance at the national competition Taza Presidencial<\/em> in 2021 (and fourth place in both 2023 and 2024), Finca Para\u00edso has consistently ranked among the top producers. The farm\u2019s neatly arranged nursery beds, spotless depulping machine, and well-organized storage areas reflect their meticulousness and dedication.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Although Juan and Luc\u00eda each submit their own lots under individual names, Juan explains that \u201cthere\u2019s no clear division of roles\u2014it\u2019s been our shared work since the very beginning. We spoke with the couple to learn more about their journey and what drives them to keep improving in an emerging coffee region.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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A Path Chosen Despite the Hardship<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For Juan Pinto, coffee was a familiar presence from childhood. His father was a coffee producer, and Juan still remembers the trucks loaded with cherries passing by during harvest season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But back then, there was no system that rewarded quality. His father didn\u2019t pay attention to ripeness or processing\u2014he would pick unripe cherries along with the ripe ones, and even soak the coffee in river water for a week to remove the pulp. Once the coffee was sold to local buyers in Caranavi, he never knew who bought it or where it ended up.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Growing up in a family with limited means, Juan started earning his own income at the age of 14 while attending middle school. He went to class in the morning and worked at a construction site in the afternoon as a laborer. With no allowance from his parents, there was simply no other way to make money. Perhaps moved by Juan\u2019s dedication, an older coworker would always pick him up by car to take him to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a time when most young people were leaving for the cities to find jobs, Juan decided to take a different path\u2014he enrolled in university to study accounting, aiming to become a tax accountant. But because he had to cover all his expenses himself, he began working shortly after entering school. The job happened to be nearby, at Agri Caf\u00e9. It was full-time work, which made it impossible to continue studying, and after one year he dropped out. That was in 2001.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBut I\u2019ve never regretted that choice,\u201d Juan says. \u201cDuring the ten years I worked at Agri Caf\u00e9, I got to be involved in every step of the coffee process\u2014from hulling, drying, and fermentation to cupping, brewing, roasting, and export. I\u2019d always wanted to work in coffee, and that experience only deepened my passion for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, starting a coffee farm requires significant initial investment. After saving money for about four or five years doing construction work, Juan finally purchased land and began building his farm from scratch, with support from his brothers and other family members.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhenever I start something new, I always tell myself to learn everything I can and to be able to do anything,\u201d he says. \u201cI even built our house entirely by myself\u2014from laying the foundation to setting the tiles. It\u2019s the same with coffee. I\u2019ve never had formal training from experts. I learned by observing other farms, experimenting on my own, and figuring things out through trial and error. I don\u2019t like standing still, so lately I\u2019ve even been thinking about opening a caf\u00e9.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan knew from the beginning that coffee would be a difficult path, but he chose it fully aware of the challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI actually enjoy working hard and getting my hands dirty,\u201d he says with a smile. \u201cWhat I love most about this job is watching the process\u2014from when the flowers bloom to when the cherries ripen. I\u2019m always asking myself questions like, \u2018Would this variety grow better under shade?\u2019 or \u2018How can I make it even better?\u2019 That kind of curiosity keeps me going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His wife Luc\u00eda nods in agreement. \u201cWhenever we change something from the year before, we\u2019re always excited to see how the coffee will turn out,\u201d she says. \u201cSeeing our creativity reflected in the results is what motivates us to keep improving year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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Living Well\u2014in Harmony with Nature and Community<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to years of steady, dedicated work, Juan and Luc\u00eda have been able to provide comfortably for their family. Their three children\u2014ages 22, 15, and 13\u2014have access to education and stability. Their eldest daughter, now in university, is studying coffee and plans to return to work on the family farm after graduation. Some of the young trees on the farm were planted by her own hands.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe helped, of course,\u201d Juan smiles, \u201cbut those trees are hers. The land she\u2019ll plant on is already prepared\u2014the slash-and-burn stage is done, and everything\u2019s ready. Since she was little, she hasn\u2019t just helped with simple tasks. When transplanting seedlings, for instance, she would use a stick to measure the depth of the holes. In a way, she\u2019s had a coffee education since childhood,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juan reflects on what keeps him motivated. \u201cThe more effort you put in, the more rewarding coffee becomes. When you expand your land, you increase not only your income but also the number of people you can employ. What we value most is a concept inherited from the Indigenous peoples here\u2014\u2018Vivir Bien\u2019<\/em>, which means \u2018living well.\u2019<\/em> It\u2019s about earning a living while staying in harmony with the community and with nature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now in their forties, Juan and Luc\u00eda look to the future with a calm sense of purpose. \u201cWe hope our children will take what we\u2019ve built and make it even better. That’s what \u2018living well\u2019 truly means to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

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