Known to many as “Pepe,” José is a producer, exporter, and the co-founder of Origin Coffee Lab—a pioneering force in northern Peru’s specialty coffee movement. Together with his wife, Mariagracia, Pepe has built OCL into one of the country’s leading exporters of high-quality microlots, while working closely with smallholder farmers to increase transparency, traceability, and economic resilience in the supply chain.
At El Rejo, Pepe has meticulously cultivated a farm focused on long-term soil health, diverse shade cover, and intentional post-harvest processing—all critical to capturing the clarity and complexity that Geisha is known for. After selectively harvesting only the ripest cherry, the coffee is fermented in clean tanks, then washed and dried slowly on shaded raised beds. The result is a cup brimming with floral aromatics, white peach, and a clean, silky finish.
But Pepe’s work extends far beyond his own farm. One of his most important roles is helping other producers understand the true value of their coffee—many for the first time. Through business modeling, profitability analysis, and sustainable agronomy training, he’s equipping farmers to manage their plots with precision and intention, ensuring they earn a fair return for their labor and produce coffees with lasting market potential.
This is our fourth year sourcing from El Rejo, and each harvest reaffirms the future we believe in: one where exceptional quality and producer equity go hand in hand. We’re honored to roast and share this coffee with you.
Green Price
$14.15
Green cost, milling, transport, taxes and exporting fees.
Transport
$1.00
Importing fees and transport from the farm to Chicago, Illinois.
Our Cost of Production
$6.00
Labor, Rent, Health Insurance, Paid Time Off
Metric
$21.15
Per 10.5oz bag of coffee
Read The Source Code to learn more about price transparency in the coffee industry.
Peru El Rejo Geisha
Cajamarca, Peru
- Producer José “Pepe” Rivera
- Elevation 1850 MASL
- Process Washed
-
Quality
Quality means buying high quality coffees from established producers around the world.
-
Traceability
Traceability gives recognition to the producers and validates where the coffee is grown, picked, and processed.
-
Transparency
We endeavor to contextualize the importance of a fair and balanced trade through the prices we pay.
-
Paying More
As an Independent Specialty Coffee Roaster, we always pay well above the C-Market based on two factors; the quality of coffee and the cost of production.
-
Fair Wage
A fair wage begins with paying higher premiums to the coffee producer in tandem with providing competitive wages and benefits for our staff here at Metric.