Coffee cultivation on small family owned farms is the backbone of production in Colombia. Banexport, a Colombian export company, works directly with many of these producers who have a shared commitment for exquisite coffee processing and caring for their farms and the environment. Banexport helps producers gain access to technical support regarding best practices for farm management, processing the harvest, and cupping feedback, which helps producers improve the quality of their coffee. The model of collaborative effort produces traceable community blends with vibrant regional profiles. This lot comes from 8 producers (Ana Marcela Ruiz, Franky AnĂbal Collazos Longo, Amalfi Paola Hernández Guengue, Leyder Arbey LĂłpez Conejo, Tirsa Montilla LĂłpez, JosĂ© EfraĂn Mosquera DomĂnguez, Sociedad Cafetera S.A.S. and Rovinson Lucio Pacheco) with small farms located in communities within the municipality of Timbio in the department of Cauca. Each producer has their own micro-mill where they carefully harvest cherries, which are macerated for 24 hours, then depulped and fermented for 36 to 48 hours to remove the mucilage, and washed and gently dried in the parchment on raised beds. While individual producers have designed farm management and post-harvest solutions to fit their needs, the strong alliance with 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.
