Villamaria COLOMBIA

Colombia is renowned for pushing the boundaries of coffee production and processing, being home to many of the worlds best and highest paid producers.

It’s well known that Colombia is synonymous with exceptional quality coffee. We aim to showcase the very best of what this country has to offer, as well as working with our partners to shine a light on marginalised producer groups, such as women producers.

Producers in this region sell their ripe cherries to the central buying station at La Aurora, positioned high up the mountain among the farms, here it is weighed and sorted before being transported down the mountain to Finca Jamaica. The coffee is then pulped, washed and dried at Finca Jamaica, which is a few hundred metres lower in elevation, resulting in better temperatures for drying coffee and fermentation.

Traditionally producers would sell their parchment to local trilladoras, often for a below-market rate, but through this method of operation and the higher cup scores of the coffees produced, Raw Material are able to pay the producers for the cherry and provide a second payment later as a quality bonus. Not only are the producers doing less work by selling their coffee in cherry, but they are receiving more for it too - a win-win.