Colombia
Cauca
ASPROFECH members
Various Smallholders
Caturra, Castillo, Tabi, Pink Bourbon, Colombia
Washed
July–December
Caramel, Red Fruit, Vibrant, Juicy
1750 meters
N/A
70 kg w/ GrainPro
SOLD OUT
ASPROFECH is an association of diverse smallholder producers of specialty coffee, with 70 male and 20 female members representing 60 families. Members are rural landholders, including those of indigenous and Afrolatino descent, living in the San Luis municipality of Paez in Eastern Cauca. Member farms are located at elevations between 1500 and 2000 meters above sea level.
ASPROFECH was founded in 2013 by local producers’ with a desire to earn more for the quality of their coffee. San Luis is close to the coffee hub of La Plata in Huila, and producers learned that their coffee’s characteristics differentiated it from coffees grown in nearby regions. Since founding ASPROFECH, producers have continued to invest in the collective quality and sustainability of their members’ farms and sought support from government and non-government organizations.
This lot is named for the Tierradentro National Archeological Park near San Luis Paez. Tierradentro was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 together with the San Agustin Archeological Park in Huila. Tierradentro is one of the most important sites for pre-Columbian culture, with Nasa nation and Guambiano settlements.
Thanks to San Luis’ complex topography with a mix of highlands, plateaus, moorlands, and valleys along the Paez River, farms in the vicinity of Tierradentro have microclimates suited for a variety of crops: coffee, wheat, vegetables, sugarcane, and foliage. The abundance of natural freshwater resources plays an important role for irrigation. Infrastructure is limited, however, and the main roads require frequent maintenance due to landslides, deforestation, and flooding. Producers each have a modest micromill on their properties, including some with stainless steel eco-mills and plastic mobile fermentation tanks.
The area around Tierradentro has faced challenges for nearly fifty years related to the illegal coca trade and the presence of armed forces. Episodes of violence forced residents to migrate to the most rural parts of the region.
Read more about Tierradentro on our Origin blog.
The Colombian department of Cauca lies in the southwestern part of the country, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department to the northeast, Huila Department to the east, and Nariño, Putumayo, and Caqueta Departments to the south. Many rivers traverse Cauca and the Central Range of the Andes Mountains runs through the department. Popayan is the capital city and Cauca’s population is distributed throughout the rural highlands and valleys.
