Colombia Timaná
From Timaná Co-operative
Timana, South of Department of Huila.
An aroma of deep molasses, liquorice layered with red berries introduces the cup that gives flavour notes of red apple and blackcurrant. It has a great mouthfeel, beautifully balanced, with a supersweet citrus acidity and finishing with a chardonnay-like aftertaste.
The quality of coffee from Colombia has suffered in recent years, but recent changes to the country’s national structure have allowed small producer co-operatives to emerge from underneath the national coffee Federation’s wings and offer exceptional coffee on a direct basis. It is from such origins that the Timaná farmers have emerged. One afternoon in August 2001, 25 coffee farmers and their families from the Huila district met to discuss their possible options to survive the ensuing - and continuing - world coffee crisis. The low prices they were receiving from local agents for the national coffee board were forcing them to eat into their savings. Very soon they would all be out of business.
From this discussion, the farmers decided to join forces and create a Co-operative so they could work together to improve the quality of their coffee. They hoped this would open doors to new opportunities in the market and a better future. The result has been an undoubted success. Today, the co-operative - Asociation de Productores Agricoles de Timaná - has expanded to 90 families and continues to work on its founding principles of economic, social and environmental sustainability and, fundamentally, absolute quality-led production. We pay a premium for their Timaná Coffee which is an incentive to maintain and improve coffee quality. The farmers work with a trained agronomist to focus on the best growing and processing methods. Our premium provides the families with a better quality of life and is used to fund local schools and hospitals. The environmental care is based on two principles: Protecting the natural habitat and introducing environmentally-friendly processing methods. Up to 80% of the coffee trees are “shade grown” – creating a sound, forest like habitat for migratory birds and other animals, while also preventing soil erosion and improves water conservation. For processing, the co-operative uses the pulped coffee cherries as organic compost which reduces the requirement for fertilizers and avoids water contamination.