Braulio Luque won third place in the coffee competition in 2007 and second place in the competition in 2008, and got second place this year. He assured us that the secret of his success is the way he works. “We work collectivelyin my family. My wife, my brothers, my parents, we do an ‘ayni,’ which means today for you, tomorrow for me. We all share the work with each other, but without pay. Without salaries.” This is the way he produces a good coffee, which, thanks to the competition,he sells from the producer to the consumer. This has helped Braulio become a small businessman, in spite of how difficult it is to process this product. The name of the sample is Cima del Jaguar, or Peak of the Jaguar, because this winners farm is located between 1,615 and 1,800 masl. His farm is in perfect harmony with the biodiversity. In the evenings you can hear and see the jaguars go out hunting. “I’m a good producer. But still I’ve got to get better. I’m not the best yet. Year after year,I’ve got to improve the product, so that I can stand out, and win first place.”

The money he receives from the sale of his coffee in the international auction he will use to improve and expand his production. He needs to renew his plantations. Part of the money he earned last year he invested in production. He improved his house, which was substandard, bought a solar electric panel and installed potable water. Braulio says that the Cup of Excellence helped him improve the quality of his life.