Colombia – Santaurio

We work with Raw Material, a not for Profit to source this coffee from Colombia

Raw Material have a simple mission. Their goal is to offer economic freedom to producers. They do this in Colombia by investing in both quality and shelf life through low cost interventions. We witnessed them doing this first hand on our trip to Colombia in April 2024 by creating systems to ensure consistency of large lots at a community level. This in turn enables reliable, stable and improved household incomes for smallholder farmers through a connection with roasters like ourselves.

Raw Material’s secondary focus is to shift the power dynamic in the coffee sector; as specialty becomes a norm, there are new opportunities for women to gain higher-income and higher-powered roles. The third area of focus is environmental; Colombia has a high average output per hectare, but this comes at the costs associated with mono-cropping and high-input farming techniques.

To improve household incomes, outcomes for women, and to encourage a shift towards more environmentally sustainable farming practices in Colombia, Raw Material:

• Set up cupping labs, and focus training towards women in the community

• Build and join community associations, invest in infrastructure and training to improve quality, and take their coffee to market.

• Place QC staff and equipment at parchment buying points to improve consistency.

• Consult wet mill operators and producers in-person on best practices.

• Purchase for consistent prices based on what coffee costs to produce and what roasters are willing to pay to maximise profitability for producers.