In 2017, Raw Material met with producer groups in Colombia to understand what is preventing farmers from accessing the specialty market. Despite good production levels, income from coffee for these families dropped to unsustainable levels in the past few years.

They faced a crossroads; either find alternative means of income outside coffee or find a more stable and sustainable market. During these discussions, we heard farmers describe their core challenges: a lack of key infrastructure; and a lack of stable prices to provide certainty for investment in improved quality. Together, we also uncovered a wide gap between how coffee quality is discussed and measured at the farm level compared with the roasting end of the value chain.

To address these challenges, we launched the Red Associations. With the new infrastructure in place, we are able to pay individual farmers a minimum fixed price of 1M COP/carga of dry parchment coffee they produce through a community lot. This price results in double the household income of a typical coffee producing family, compared with the average income in the regular market over the past 5 years.

Once the new infrastructure is built, fixed price payments can get directly to producers through a transparent system. The goal is to achieve stable and sustainable prices for community coffee lots through improved quality control, shared knowledge, and a connection to the specialty coffee market.

Red in Spanish means network, representing the producers and roasters working together to create a sustainable value chain. The municipality of El Aguila is known for its abundant coffee production, which is the region’s main source of income. The coffee quality and fertile lands make this one of the most important economic centers of the North of Valle del Cauca.

El Aguila

White Star Coffee is a coffee roaster based in the heart of Belfast delivering exclusive and bespoke coffee and machine solutions.

We source speciality coffee with the highest quality in mind and look to work with farmers/cooperatives who are progressive in their practices and determined to farm in sustainable and transparent ways.

El Aguila

0.0

El Aguila