Colombia has set a new target to achieve sustainable coffee by 2027. They believe in a definition of sustainability that meets the needs of various stakeholders in the entire supply chain.
Freshly handpicked coffee cherries during harvest season.
Sustainability efforts: Red Associations
The Red Associations was set up by a non-profit organisation, Raw Material Coffee, in 2017. Raw Material Coffee operates on a model where 100% of the profits generated goes back to the producers whom they represent globally. They utilise their capabilities to fill in the gaps in current support measures for issues that coffee farmers face worldwide.
Most producers around the world would earn low, volatile prices for their coffee. The Red Associations was set up to help farmers achieve stable and higher prices for their coffee, through improved quality control and direct connections to the specialty coffee market.
A farmer in Colombia drying coffee beans.
In Colombia, Red Associations primarily aim to help farmers achieve sustainable prices for their coffee through low-cost interventions within existing structures. They do so by creating systems to ensure consistency in large lots at a community level. Secondly, they also aim to financially empower women. With the growing demand of the specialty coffee market, there are more opportunities for women to take on higher-income roles. Lastly, they intend to shift to more environmentally sustainable farming techniques.
Coffee from the Risaralda region
Risaralda is known for its green mountainous areas, and a home to multiple coffee producers’ associations. It is the perfect coffee for large roasteries looking for a continuous fresh supply of 83-85 point washed coffee.
Coffee plantation in Colombia.
The Caturra and Castillo varietals from the Risaralda region will take you on a delightful experience. Coffee beans grown at higher altitudes tend to be more complex in flavours. Flavours evolve from chocolate to spiced wine to fruity as the elevation increases. Cultivated at high altitudes, Risaralda coffee has notes of dark cherry and madeira wine, perfect for wine lovers.
Our baristas at Craftsmen recommend this coffee to be used filter coffee for a balanced taste profile of cherry and wine. Alternatively, we like this coffee black on espresso brew.
Harvest and post-processing
In Colombia, most of the small family-owned farms employ the traditional fermentation method to process coffee cherries after harvesting them.
Coffee cherries are stored in water, which pauses their fermentation cycle until ready to pulp. Next, small pulping machines are used to remove seeds from the cherries. The fermentation process then begins. No additives are used in the process – naturally-occurring yeast is added to break down complex sugars that adhere to the coffee beans.
Green coffee beans.
Generally, fermentation should not take more than a day at lower altitudes of around 1000 metres above sea level, where temperatures are higher and the fermentation process is quicker. At 2000 metres above sea level, the fermentation process would take around 24 to 36 hours.
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