ABOUT CONSCIOUS FOOD
Conscious Food from Bolivia is a concept that highlights nutritious, organic raw produce from Bolivia, such as Amaranth, Brazil nuts, Royal Quinoa, wild cocoa, and Shadow Coffee grown on small family-based farms in sustainable and traditional ways. Besides matching today’s demanding health and organic trends, conscious foods play a critical role in preserving Bolivia’s rich biodiversity—from the high plateaus of the Andes to the deep Amazon rainforest.
FIVE CONSCIOUS FOODS
SHADOW COFFEE
In the shade of tall trees, far from traditional fields, Shadow Coffee is grown. A high-quality coffee found at 600 to 1,800 meters above sea level, it requires less pesticides and water than regular coffee. The cool air protects the soil and attracts small beneficial insects and animals such as bees, birds, and other pollinators. The coffee is usually grown on smaller plots and is harvested by hand. After harvest, the beans are dried in the sun and then carefully sorted.
AMARANTH
For thousands of years, Amaranth has grown strong and hardy on small fields scattered across Bolivia’s dramatic geography. Because Amaranth thrives almost anywhere in Bolivia, it’s an important Proto crop for many growers today. As it is gluten-free, easy to digest, and highly nutritious, NASA has chosen Amaranth as a suitable food for its astronauts.
WILD COCOA
On so-called ”cocoa islands”, among the dense foliage of the Amazon forest, wild cocoa is grown. The Wild Cocoa is an uncultivated and naturally occurring cacao trees found in their native habitats. When it’s time to harvest, farmers use long sticks to knock the fruit, which are 10 meters above the ground. In Bolivia, indigenous people manage areas of cocoa islands, which has been a livelihood mean for thousands of years.
BRAZIL NUT
Brazil nuts grow among the Amazon treetops. Despite their hard shell, the nut has a soft core rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Brazil nuts are important as they provide the indigenous population with an income and help prevent further deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
ROYAL QUINOA
Far up on the steep mountain plateaus of the Altiplano, 4000 meters above sea level, grows the pride of Bolivia: Royal Quinoa. It is a more noble form of quinoa, which with the power of the blinding sun and the huge Bolivian salt lakes grows larger and tastier than other quinoa varieties.
SELECTED COMPANIES FROM BOLIVIA
LA FRANCESA
La Francesa manufactures gluten-free cookies based on organic (NOP-EU) quinoa. The cookies are made from high-quality ingredients with a unique texture. Among the different flavors, chocolate stands out, as they consist of 80% pure cocoa and have a handmade finish. La Francesa has been on the market for 60 years and exports bread and cookies to the USA, Canada, and Germany.
SALTUS
Saltus chocolate bars are made from Wild Cocoa. In the Bolivian parts of the Amazon, the indigenous people carefully pick the cocoa beans which they then ferment in the forest, creating the basis for a healthy, high-quality product with an intense and long-lasting aroma.
ATOQ
The high altitude, the favorable microclimate, and the large areas of untouched soil create the perfect environment for growing specialty coffee. The coffee company Atoq takes advantage of this, while at the same time promoting sustainable agriculture with respect for both the environment and social conditions. The company values transparency, being involved in all stages of production. The close relationship with the producers allows Atoq to trace each bean from the growing field to the point of sale.
AMAZONAS S. A.
With 34 years of experience, Amazonas leads in the collection, production, and export of top-quality organic Brazil nuts. The company is committed to environmental management, engaging in initiatives such as carbon footprint reduction, reforestation, and transitioning to biomass energy.
SINDAN
Sindan is a family business that offers organic products such as chia seeds, amaranth, and quinoa flour. Their recipe for success is a combination of a grand vision and daily innovation to meet new trends while striving to maintain a high standard. Sindan works with Fair Trade certification to improve the farmers’ living conditions and at the same time help them become independent entrepreneurs.
ANDEAN VALLEY
Andean Valley wants to become a world leader in the production and export of products based on Royal Quinoa. The company works with 500+ farming families and exports gluten-free, organic products to over 20 countries worldwide. Their slogan is ”From the crop to the fork and from the fork to the heart.” To support its farmers, Andean Valley has a co-ownership program that provides commissions and invests in certificates, equipment, and technology.
EL CEIBO
El Ceibo is a cooperative-owned company that unites several producers from different cooperatives. The company exports high-quality organic cocoa and chocolate. They have developed a special product line with exotic ingredients, such as the cupuacu cacao plant from the Bolivian Amazon and Uyuni salt from the salt desert in the Bolivian highlands.
AGRONAT
The company Agronat S.A produces and exports two product categories: natural cosmetics, as well as organic and biodynamic foods. The company’s farmers consist of indigenous people who inherited the knowledge of the Andes from their ancestors. Their products include Andean cereals, aloe vera juices, and cosmetics based on quinoa and penca.
PAMOC
Pamoc is a family business that processes and sells Brazil nuts, with a strong commitment to the preservation of the Amazon rainforest. The methods used to pick Brazil nuts strive for the least possible environmental impact. Procedures are continuously monitored to ensure that the trees are preserved, and the company also looks after the well-being of the local population. The business creates jobs for 150 people and has certifications for product safety.
IRUPANA
Irupana specializes in organic foods with an emphasis on cereals based on cañahua, quinoa, and amaranth. The company uses the latest technology to process its products and has international certifications to guarantee quality. The company is involved in social issues, especially regarding the situation of women in rural areas. For this commitment, Irupana has been awarded at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
AGROEXPORT
Agroexport produces and sells cereals, sesame seeds, and chia seeds. The production methods are organic and the products are certified for both quality and safety. The suppliers guarantee the quality of the product from the grower. The company exports mainly in bulk.
CORONILLA
Coronilla is a fast-paced company known for its strong relationships with farmers, producers, and distributors. Their range includes chocolate cakes, cupcakes, gluten-free pasta, and Andean macaroni mix—a bestseller made from organic rice and quinoa. Coronilla uses organic, gluten-free, and vegan ingredients hand-picked from small-scale growers in the Andes. What sets Coronilla apart is that 85% of their employees are women, which is unusual in Bolivia.
Green Forest
Green Forest delivers healthy and tasty food straight from the Amazon jungle to your table, including Brazil nuts in various forms such as their Brazil nut cream butter, which they hope will take Europe by storm. Green Forest’s greatest success is based on their constant pursuit of product improvement as consumers become more and more demanding. The Brazil nuts are collected by the people of the tropical rainforest of northern Bolivia and the sale protects the rainforest by providing the people with an income.
G&G ORGANIC
G&G Organic is a Bolivian company dedicated to the organic production of mung beans, sesame, and chia. The products qualify for the highest quality standards and are mainly sold in bulk to the European and Asian markets. The company buys its raw materials from 700 families and works intensively with intercultural communities.
Conscious Foods from Bolivia is an export program run by Open Trade Gate Sweden and SwissContact. The aim is to help food producers from Bolivia to establish a position on the Swedish and Nordic markets. The project is part of a larger initiative started by SwissContact with funding from SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in collaboration with local actors in Bolivia.
Together with the Bolivian companies, we created Conscious foods from Bolivia, a concept for organic products based on raw materials from Bolivia grown in an original way—without artificial fertilizers or strong pesticides. The farms are often run on a smaller scale by families who have farmed their land in the same way for generations.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
