Colombia Cauca Sotara A

Coffee cultivation from small family owned farms is the backbone of production in Colombia. Banexport, a Colombian export company, works directly with many of these small farms where producers have a shared commitment for exquisite coffee processing and loving care for their farms and the environment.

The model of collaborative effort produces traceable community blends with vibrant regional profiles.  This lot comes from 12 producers (Edgar Baos Hoyos, Omar Henry Cuaji Guevara, Darío Hernán Manzano, David Vásquez Bolaños, Eudoro Garzón, Francy Elena Rivera Quiñonez, José Benito Garzón Carvajal, Juan Carlos Silva Carvajal, María Nancy Manzano Carvajal, Marino Rosero Yacumal, Maryurid Tacue Salazar, and Ramón Eraldo Manzano Carvajal) with farms in communities within the municipality of Sotará in the department of Cauca.

Each producer has their own micro-mill where they focus on selective picking, floating the cherries to remove damaged and underdeveloped beans, depulping to remove the skin, and fermenting for 48 hours to remove the mucilage before washing the coffee seeds. The wet parchment is dried to 11 percent moisture over a period between 10 to 15 days on raised beds.

After processing, Banexport provides crucial logistical support for things like warehousing and milling coffee for export to the international market, which provides better income for everyone to reinvest in their farms and strengthen their families’ livelihoods.