COLOMBIA ORGANIC TOLIMA ASEPROPAZ

Regional details

For many years Tolima has remained hidden in plain sight between other well-known coffee growing regions because armed conflict and coca leaf production isolated producers and exposed them to high rates of violence.  During this time the municipality of Planadas, located in the southernmost corner of Tolima, had remained an untapped source of specialty coffee where thousands of producers have been cultivating coffee on just a few acres of land intercropped with shade trees, bananas, corn, beans and sugarcane.

Sourcing details

As conflict has subsided in recent years, locally organized associations have taken the lead in creating market access for these producers.  This particular lot was cultivated by members of Asociación Ecologica Productora de Paz (ASEPROPAZ), which is located in Planadas.  With 130 members, ASEPROPAZ has focused on certifications and training producers in best organic practices.  The cooperative has also invested in basic infrastructure needs like road improvements and establishing a local warehouse.

Processing Details:

Producers carefully harvest and sort cherries before depulping, fermenting, washing, and drying the coffee using their own micro-mills. The individual lots are combined to make a clean and consistent community blend that showcases the harmony between producers in post-harvest practices with complexity reflected from each individual farm.