Colombia

Colombia is one of the world’s top producers of Arabica coffee, and over the years the country has become synonymous with quality coffee.

The country has nurtured its coffee industry over the years and the spirit of innovation is strong; new coffee varieties and processing innovations have come from Colombia as well as classic, balanced lots beloved by coffee drinkers. Most of the country’s coffee is grown by small producers scattered in its many coffee growing regions. These coffee growers in rural Colombia have seen decades of low-intensity political conflict between paramilitary groups, guerrilla groups, and the government, though a peace deal approved in 2016 made great strides in the peace and reconciliation process. 

Tolima

 

The Tolima department borders Huila and Cundinamarca, and is located in west-central Colombia. In past centuries, indigenous cultures thrived here, and a small indigenous population remains here today. Tolima is renowned for its music and distinctive cuisine as well as its excellent coffee. Breathtaking mountains provide the high altitudes needed to produce outstanding coffee.

Huila

 

The department of Huila borders Tolima, and it’s the highest-producing region in the country. Huila boasts a chain of volcanoes, the Nevado de Huila, which historically has enriched the soils of the region, creating ideal growing conditions for coffee. Huila has its own designation of origin, and it produces coffees renowned for their bright acidity, balanced body, and rich sweetness. 

Antioquia

 

Antioquia is a department in the northwest region of Colombia. Geographically, the department is dominated by the Andes mountains. In very high altitude regions, it is too cold to grow coffee, but in other areas the high altitudes do create good coffee-growing conditions. The department was particularly hard-hit by the decades of political unrest and violence in the countryside, even as the departmental capital of Medellin has flourished thanks to tourism and other industries. 

Cundinamarca

 

This department surrounds the city of Bogota, the capital city of Colombia, which is also one of the country’s centers of commerce. Bordering Tolima, the department contains mountains and high-altitude areas that are well suited to coffee production as well as featuring other agricultural products such as flowers.