Ecuador is one of the more elusive origins, likely the result of a high cost of production mainly due to manual labor, which makes it more difficult to compete in a global market. José Luis Eguiguren is a Q grader who manages an export company called Hacienda Santa Gertrudis. José Luis has helped 80 producers work together to improve the quality of their coffee, which as of recently produced excellent results. This lot comes from small farms where each producer has their own micro-mill to carefully harvest cherries, depulp, ferment, wash and gently dry the parchment on raised beds. Hacienda Santa Gertrudis provides crucial logistical support for things like warehousing and milling coffee for export to the international market, which provides better income for everyone to reinvest in their farms and strengthen their families’ livelihoods.