Colombia Narino Los Ingas Honey

In Nariño’s Aponte reserve the bulk of coffee production comes from small farms owned and managed by the Inga indigenous people who follow organic farm management practice attuned to their cultural connection with the land. To date, producers in the Aponte continue to cultivate coffee on just a few acres of land intercropped with shade trees, bananas, corn, and beans. During the harvest, producers carefully harvest and sort cherries before depulping, fermenting, and drying the coffee while the mucilage is still attached. Inconexus, a Colombian export company, has been coordinating with the Igna communities to provide technical support on the best agricultural practices for quality coffee production and investments focused on improving infrastructure, which has helped the producers move away from the dangers of illicit poppy production. In this transition to coffee production, the Inga have been able to capitalize on their indigenous heritage and deep commitment for their community’s wellbeing. This desire to cultivate coffee together for the benefit of all who live within the reserve has unfolded under the shadow of the Dona Juana volcano, which lends a soil rich in minerals and mistic power to the coffee grown in this special microclimate hovering between 1800 and 2100 meters above sea level.