Colombia – Rafael Rojas (direct trade)

Colombia, Palo Grande – Rafael Rojas

Origin and Specifications

• Country: Colombia
• Region: Paicol, Huila
• Finca: Palo Grande
• Lot: Microlot Rafaël Rojas
• Producer: Rafael Rojas Zùñiga
• Process: Anaerobic Honey
• Variety: Colombia, Castillo, and Tabi
• Altitude: 1450 – 1600 m
• Quality: SCA 87

From Adoption to Direct Trade: The Story Behind Our Coffee

In 1999, Marco and Corine Blom adopted a six-week-old baby from Colombia. Twenty years later, they traveled to Colombia to search for his biological mother. During this trip, they met Carlos Andres Perdomo Rojas, the biological cousin of their adopted son, who had grown up in Colombia and was closely involved in his family’s coffee production. What began as a personal search soon led to a remarkable discovery: his family in Huila, Colombia, had been growing coffee for generations.

When Marco and Corine first set foot on the Rojas family plantations, they were overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape: rolling green hills, shaded coffee plants, and an abundance of nature. But behind this picturesque landscape was a different reality. The family and their workers spent long days producing high-quality coffee, but received only a small share of the proceeds. Intermediaries set prices and made enormous profits, while the farmers struggled to support their families. This prompted Marco, Corine, and Carlos to take action.

Generations of Craftsmanship

The Rojas family has been growing coffee on their plantations, Finca Palo Grande and Finca San Isidro, for more than a century. Their knowledge and passion for specialty coffee have been passed down from generation to generation. A historic moment in the family’s story came in 1964, when Grandfather Perdomo became the first coffee farmer in the Huila region to be certified for specialty coffee. Today, the fifth generation continues this tradition with innovative techniques and sustainable production methods.

Direct Trade: From Colombia to Zwolle

Carlos Andres Perdomo Rojas grew up in Colombia and was involved in his family’s coffee growing from an early age. In 2019, he traveled to the Netherlands to learn English and stayed with the Blom family while taking classes at the Dominican Monastery in Zwolle. The COVID-19 crisis extended his stay in the Netherlands, and during this time the idea grew to connect the coffee trade directly with consumers in the Netherlands.

Together with Marco and Corine Blom, Carlos worked to establish Rojas Specialty Coffee. This model brings coffee directly from plantations in Colombia to Zwolle, where it is roasted and sold locally. This approach gives farmers a fair price and makes it possible to invest directly in the Huila community.

The Unique Quality and Sustainability of Rojas Coffee

Coffee from Huila is known for its refined flavor, which comes from the unique combination of altitude, volcanic soil, and a tropical climate. The plantations harvest exclusively by hand, picking only the ripest berries. The Anaerobic Honey process preserves the berries’ natural sweetness, resulting in a full-bodied, complex flavor with notes of chocolate and fruit.

The coffee is also grown sustainably:

• Use of natural water sources, such as water from a nearby waterfall.
• Natural shade from large trees to help the coffee cherries ripen evenly.
• Environmentally responsible processing, with by-products reused on the farm.

A Family History in the Logo

“The Rojas Specialty Coffee logo is inspired by Carlos’s grandfather, whose distinctive hat has become a symbol of the family’s long coffee-growing tradition. This image is also featured in the illustration on our coffee bags.”

A Cup of Coffee with a Story

Every bag of coffee you buy from us contributes to a fair coffee supply chain. It’s a product of tradition, craftsmanship, and social responsibility. This isn’t mass-produced coffee, but specialty coffee with a story: from the mountains of Huila straight to your cup.

Want to experience the impact of direct trade for yourself? Discover the flavors of Rojas Specialty Coffee and support the farmers who make it possible.