COLOMBIA: WHERE THE COFFEE IS AS MOVING AS THE PEOPLE
From colorful fiestas and rich biodiversity to the lost city of El Dorado, Colombia is celebrated for its many wonders. It’s admired culture blends together traditions of its European, African, and indigenous roots. Among the things Colombia is known for, its robust, fruit-forward coffee plays a large role in shaping the country’s identity.
The land’s mountainous terrain and tropical microclimates create ideal conditions for growing coffee. A small change in altitude takes you from warm, Caribbean beaches to coffee-strewn, emerald green hills. With 75% of the country’s coffee production exported worldwide, Colombian coffee has established a global name for itself.
The brains behind this operation lie in Colombia’s small coffee farms. The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia was established in 1927 to protect the interests of rural, small-estate farmers. In response to the coffee-price crisis, the Farm Select program launched to not only provide growers with more support, knowledge and financial resources to improve their coffee quality, but also to allow roasters to create relationships with coffee farmers.
Hidden high in the mountains of Colombia’s Amazon rainforest lies the coffee farm of Donna Patricia Guzman and her husband, Arley Rodriguez Gutierrez. “For us, coffee is everything. It’s what allows us to eat. It means everything to us,” Guzman said, who was surrounded by her 12,000 coffee trees.
Supporting the farmers who have poured their hearts into the growing process, unifying coffee lovers everywhere is one of our core missions. There are greater stories behind Colombian coffee that are worth telling. It’s the muddy pair of boots that hike over dozens of acres of land, the blistered fingers of coffee pickers who hand-pick the best coffee cherries, and the crops transported on the backs of mules, that are behind creating something so special for others.
Grown in a region known as the “Coffee Capital of Colombia”, Jesus Alexander’s 7-hectare farm is known for its premium coffee that leaves both newbies and connoisseurs craving more. In this cup you will experience flavors of tart fruits and lemongrass at first, and finish with a taste of chocolate and toffee.
Explore our Colombian coffee here!
Header Photo Credit: Leandro Loureiro
