Region
Risaralda
Risaralda is one of Colombia’s principal coffee growing Departments. Along with neighboring Caldas and Quindío, it forms part of the “coffee axis” or “coffee triangle,” indicating the important coffee activities—from research to social support programs to freeze drying to dry milling—that take place in the area, which is in turn part of the Coffee Cultural Landscape, recognized by UNESCO as a World Coffee Cultural Heritage site.
The soils of Risaralda have their origin in igneous rocks and volcanic ash with slopes descending towards the Cauca river, forming a landscape of colorful towns where more than 20.000 smallholder farms and mid-sized estates dedicate themselves to the department’s main agricultural activity; coffee. The main coffee varieties found there include Castillo, Colombia, Caturra, Típica and Tabi.
Risaralda is the only Colombian department recognized as a Model Forest, a title given by the International Model Forest Network because of the community management of the areas declared as reserves, combining social, environmental and economic needs of the local communities with long-term and large-scale perspectives on the sustainability of the territory.