APROCASSI - La Estrella

Aprocassi is located in the province of San Ignacio, Cajamarca department, at 1.700 m above sea level. In San Ignacio summers are cloudy and winters are long, a combination that has proved to be ideal for coffee as it secures a wide window without rains for drying.  The quality of our coffee is no more than the result of having optimal soils for production, with
a pH around 5.5. Also, we have an adequate climate, which allows us to express the maximum potential of our varieties such as Typica, Bourbon, Mundo Novo, Catuai, Caturra Rojo and Amarillo, the latter being one of the most loved and cared for by our producers.
 
Aprocassis history goes back to 1997, when San Ignacio families were in conflict with a Canadian mining multinational called Sulliden Mining Capital. The company had been granted a concession to install machinery to extract gold and silver in an area of 8.000 hectares, encompassing 24 villages surrounding the Huaquillas mountain. The activity would have a massive impact on the ecosystem and local farms. 

Back then, a chemical accident attracted a lot of attention and opposition to Sulliden. This opposition was backed by the Catholic church and farmers alike, who envisioned a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for themselves.  With this in mind, reverend Humberto Tapia Días, a parish priest, created an association to provide a sustainable alternative for the area's economy based on organic agriculture. Aprocassi was born in March 2000 and became a cooperative later in 2010. After many protests, Sulliden abandoned the project and left. 

La Estrella takes its name from a lagoon in the area that has a shape of a star.