Behind the Beans: Luzmila Loyoza
About “Behind the Beans”
In “Behind the Beans,” we look at the places where relationships in coffee are really built: with the people who make quality possible long before a lot reaches you. In this edition, we’re speaking with Luzmila Loyoza from Peru. For nearly eight years, she has been connected to cumpa through a friendship that has grown over time. She supports the export logistics of specialty coffees from small producers, helping ensure each shipment arrives under the best possible conditions. With more than 20 years of experience working alongside coffee farmer organizations and through her work with COOPAFSI and its dry mill. Luzmila connects perspectives on origin, infrastructure, and responsibility. Her focus is clear: making Peruvian coffee more visible and more widely appreciated.
Interview with Luzmila Loyoza
What is your relationship with cumpa?
I have had the honor of being friends with cumpa for nearly eight years. I’m happy to see the company grow successfully year after year. I support the export logistics of specialty coffees from small producers so their shipments arrive at cumpa under the best possible conditions.
How did you get into the coffee industry?
Since completing my degree in international trade, I have worked with coffee-farmer organizations in Cajamarca, San Martín, and Junín. I have over 20 years of experience in this field, and I’m currently part of COOPAFSI, which operates its own dry mill, where many exporters process their specialty coffees.
What do you like about the specialty coffee industry?
It makes it possible to get to know the producers behind each coffee lot more personally.
What do you want to achieve with coffee?
That Peruvian coffee becomes more widely recognized and sought after by end consumers.
What does (specialty) coffee mean to you?
For me, it stands for coffee that is produced with extra care, for traceability throughout the entire supply chain, and for customers with a refined palate.
What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you with coffee?
That I’ve made wonderful friends across the coffee chain, and I’ve been able to learn from everyone’s life experiences.
Which coffee prejudice would you like to dispel?
I want to challenge the idea that coffee is only handled by men, because today there are many women producers and leaders who are also successful and who do high-quality work.
Which coffee highlight are you currently looking forward to the most?
That the government can help coffee farmers across the country grow and thrive.
