COLOMBIA ARGOTE SPECIALITY COFFEE
COLOMBIA
FARM: 20 independent farmers, connected by Argote Specialty Coffee
LOCATION: Génova, Colón, Nariño, Colombia
CULTIVARS: Castillo, Caturra, some Catuaí
FARM SIZE: 1 to 2 hectares per farm
ALTITUDE: 1,950 - 2,800 meters above sea level
EXPORTER: Argote Specialty Coffee
IMPORTER: This Side Up Coffees
ROASTER: Special Roast
Colombia - coffee specs
What to taste for:
Aroma: chocolate, caramel.
Body: round mouthfeel with a thick body.
Acidity: hint of dried berries
Aftertaste: dark chocolate, cacao powder, molasses.
PROCESSING YOUR COFFEE
It is a fully washed coffee, meaning the cherries hand-picked, de-pulped, washed with mountain water, fermented for 18-24 hours, sun-dried on concrete patios and on raised “drawers” with high airflow for about 2 weeks, manually sorted at the farm in four separate rounds, hulled and bagged at the Argote family farm.
ROASTING YOUR COFFEE
We use a 22kg Probat UG22 roaster, that has been built in 1965. The roast time is 11 minutes. After the first crack, the coffee is roasted for a remainder of 25% of the time. To obtain the best flavor and taste each coffee or blend has a unique roast profile.
Relative price breakdown:
57%
the price Argote pays for the dried parchment, or the farmgate price.
22%
this includes all dry milling costs on site at Argote Specialty Coffee, grading the coffee, preparation of the coffee for export and documentation.
4%
local transport costs and overseas transport to Rotterdam, Netherlands.
12%
This Side Up compensation for spending time and resources bringing this relationship and coffee to life. Our work includes building relationships with origin partners in the field, finding markets for the coffees, linking farmers to rural banks and NGO partners, arranging the export and import channels, Q grading, sampling.
5%
Average financing cost we have to pay lenders - simply because we don’t have the money in the bank to buy such large amounts of coffee all at once. This ensures immediate payment to the farmers when the coffee leaves the farm or port.
ABOUT THE COLOMBIAN FARMS
With over 20 farmers both young and old, Argote Specialty Coffee works towards producing high quality coffee whilst being able to care deeply for the land. Over the last 10 years, several improvements social, environmentally have been observed due to the economic impact created by coffee trade. A few of farmers have also established direct relationships with roasters in the Netherlands allowing them to work closely to co-develop a coffee portfolio that offers stable income to the farmers year after year. Argote creates three important areas of impact in the community because of coffee trade. Firstly, they work with farmers to pay them a higher price for their produce and within the community everyone earns a fixed price for washed, naturals making it an equal and fair environment for the entire community.
With over 20 farmers both young and old, Argote Specialty Coffee works towards producing high quality coffee whilst being able to care deeply for the land. Over the last 10 years, several improvements social, environmentally have been observed due to the economic impact created by coffee trade. A few of farmers have also established direct relationships with roasters in the Netherlands allowing them to work closely to co-develop a coffee portfolio that offers stable income to the farmers year after year. Argote creates three important areas of impact in the community because of coffee trade. Firstly, they work with farmers to pay them a higher price for their produce and within the community everyone earns a fixed price for washed, naturals making it an equal and fair environment for the entire community.
