Caimo Collective

COUNTRY: Colombia

VARIETAL: Colombia, Tabi, Castillo, Caturra, and Cenicafe

PROCESSING: Washed

ALTITUDE: 1600 - 2000 m.a.s.l.

REGION: Pitalito, Huila

INFO FROM THE IMPORTER

This communal lot is part of a new project we’ve been working on in Bruselas, Pitalito, Huila. It is aimed at identifying high-quality coffees that would typically end up in generic blends, not fulfilling their potential. We’ve started by purchasing these lots to create a traceable, high-quality collective lot while providing better payments to farmers.

Our goal, in collaboration with our partners at origin, is to provide a consistent, high-quality product while improving the long-term livelihoods of the farmers we work with. While the phrase “improving the producer’s life” may sound cliché, what we truly mean is enhancing the producer’s net income by rewarding them for producing high quality and empowering them to continue growing specialty coffee.

Our purchasing model is designed to reward the producer’s efforts in two stages: the first payment is made when they meet the minimum standards required to join the program, and the second payment, known as “reliquidation,” is made when the deal is finalized with the buyer.

To ensure a steady supply of product, we focus on several strategies:

• Loyalty: We work with initial producers who are committed to continuing their production of specialty coffee and trust in the project.

• Increased planting: For returning producers, we discuss ways to expand their production or improve their agronomic practices.

• Product improvement: We focus on enhancing the processing methods from harvest to drying to ensure better quality coffee.

• More producers: We seek to bring on more producers who meet the requirements to be part of the program.

Impact

By purchasing this coffee, you are directly supporting the development of this project, creating incentives for producers, and providing them with tangible benefits for being part of the program. These benefits include:

• Increased payment for quality

• Potential for post-sale reliquidation

• Access to financial education programs and workshops

• Post-harvest education

• Improved commercial positioning

• Access to financing

Additionally, by offering educational programs, we can help producers improve their post-harvest processing techniques, ultimately enhancing the quality of their coffee. We can also provide financial health programs to assist producers in managing their resources more efficiently.