Best of Tolima
Colombia is the third largest producer of coffee in the world, right behind Brazil and Vietnam, but the largest producer of Arabica coffee. And, as the largest producer of Arabica coffee coffee (Coffea arabica), Colombia holds a special place among many roasters, baristas, and coffee lovers for its sheer diversity and number of producers. According to the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FNC), there are over 540,000 coffee producers in the country spanning 15 different coffee growing regions from north to south.
Theoretically one could only drink Colombian coffee for the rest of their life and never have the same coffee twice.
For these 540,000 coffee producers, most of whom are small family farmers, the largest obstacle to success has historically been – and continues to be – reaching external markets for their coffee. A 2024 report by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP), Stichting IDH (IDH), Fundacion Solidaridad Latinoamerican, and BASIC (Bureau d’Analyse Sociétale d’Intérêt Collectif) entitled “The Grounds for Sharing: A Study of Value Distribution in the Coffee Industry” found that: “There are inequalities in the coffee supply chain, with an important number of coffee farmers having limited insights, opportunities and control over the final form and destination of the coffee they produce/export. This puts most farmers in a disadvantaged bargaining position when it comes to getting value for their coffee. The disconnect between end-product and farm production leaves farmers with limited, if any, points of leverage to capture a share of the end-product.” For most farmers in Colombia and around the world, they grow coffee and sell the cherries to a third party for a low price, with no knowledge of who is buying their coffee, who is roasting their coffee, and for how much it is being sold on the external market.
Over the years, many programs have been developed to try and alleviate this “cycle of poverty for coffee farmers” (Ruben, 2023). One such program that has had a major impact is the Cup of Excellence competition run by the Alliance for Coffee Excellence. The Cup of Excellence competition significantly impacts the coffee industry by elevating the status of coffee farmers, promoting transparency in the market, and driving quality improvement by rewarding high-quality coffees with premium prices, ultimately leading to better economic opportunities for producers, particularly smallholder farmers. Since 2005 Cup of Excellence competitions have been regularly held in Colombia, generating over $6,000,000 USD for Colombian farmers. As a result of the success and impact Cup of Excellence has had, other competitions have been developed, including the Best of Huila, Best of Cauca, Best of Nariño, and the Best of Tolima.
The International Jury members.
Cupping at Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios de Café Especial de Planadas (ASOPEP)
This year I had the honor to be one of the International Judges for the Best of Tolima competition, held in the small mountain coffee town of Planadas. Tolima is in the center west of Colombia, with the Cordillera Central running down the center of the Department. Tolima is the third largest coffee producing department in Colombia, and the range of varietals grown and cup profiles produced is staggering. Although I had been to Colombia a couple times, I had never been to Planadas, and I was excited to learn more about the status of specialty coffee in this part of Colombia as well as to cup and judge coffees from some of the best producers in Tolima.
Prior to my arrival, the Best of Tolima competition had already started with what is known as the National Phase. During this part of the competition, a group of jurors from the region cup and score all the samples, only allowing coffees that score above 86 points to continue in the competition. Lead by Head Judge Johan Cerqeura and 2024 Colombian National Roast Champion Nicolas Ortiz Moreno, the group of 9 National Jurors passed 54 samples during the initial round, and then eliminated another 10 samples in the second round. As a result, there were 44 samples that would be judged by myself and the other International Jurors.
The International Jury consisted of 15 highly qualified cuppers from Colombia, the UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Ukraine, the United States, Canada, and Japan and the purpose is to explore what would be internationally recognized by different markets as exemplary coffees. The cupping, roasting, and judging all took place at the Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios de Café Especial de Planadas (ASOPEP)’s main building, located on the outskirts of Planadas. Over the course of two days, we cupped and scored all the coffees, ranking the 44 lots that would go to auction. Not only were these beautiful, clean, and fruit forward, but many of them were also dynamically complex, resulting in ranking positions decided by 0.02-0.04 of a percentile. Obviously, coffee producers in Tolima know what they are doing and are producing some of the top coffees in Colombia, a fact that would be reaffirmed on auction day.
A moment to celebrate the winning producers with everyone involved.
Auction day came the following evening, when the entire region of southern Tolima arrived to celebrate their coffees. A large stage was set up in the central plaza, and around 2,000 people crammed in to watch the live auction – everyone was excited to see what types of prices their coffees would command. This is where the impact of these coffee competitions really becomes apparent – there is no coffee producer in Tolima who is unaware of the prices paid; in this case a new record was set at $69/pound USD for Adriana Diaz Castillo’s washed geisha. Some people may claim that the coffee was overvalued, or that the price paid was simply a marketing ploy for the buyer, and those arguments can be made. However, as I watched coffee producers, families, small kids, grandparents, and everyone else marvel at the prices their coffees were fetching, I understood that a tipping point was happening. For the first time in most of these people’s lives, they saw the real value of their coffee and they saw a way to realize that value. Forever going forward, these coffee producers and their families will think differently about how they grow, process, and most importantly value their coffee.
I for one, could not be happier, and I look forward to paying more the next time I buy coffee from Tolima.
By Peter Jones. Nov 2024
Many thanks to ASECC, FNC, and the Government of Tolima for hosting, organizing and sponsoring the Best of Tolima program and my trip. Thank you to Santiago and Forest Coffee for thinking of Idle Hands as a suitable candidate to join the many other jurors. We look forward to the next one!
References
BASIC, Global Coffee Platform, IDH, Solidaridad. 2024. The Grounds for Sharing: A Study of Value Distribution in the Coffee Industry. Paris, France.
Ruben, Ruerd. 2023. Why Do Coffee Farmers Stay Poor? Breaking Vicious Circles With Direct Payments From Profit Sharing. Journal of Fair Trade, 4(2): 11-30.
