Producer profile: Madremonte

Origin: Colombia
Region: Huila
Producer: Coocentral
Altitude: 1800 - 2000 masl

Variety: Colombia, Caturra, Castillo
Process: Washed

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Madremonte is a name inspired by the women who contribute to this coffee, spiced with a bit of Colombian mythology.

La Madremonte, the protector of nature and forest animals, is unforgivable when people want to change or destroy it. She can be identified with Mother Nature and a forerunner to uphold the laws of nature. Okey coffee!

 

 

 

 
This coffee comes from female coffee farmers who are members of the Coocentral special women's program. Coocentral runs a project in collaboration with Nordic Approach to improve the quality of coffee and the supply for the female producers. They invest in technical assistance, follow-up and training for growers. 429 women receive continuous training in cultivation and processing methods in order to be able to produce even better quality coffee and get paid even better with better living standards as a result.

 

 

 

 
Coocentral is the main cooperative in central Huila. The members of the cooperative normally have 2-3 hectares of farms at altitudes from 1400 up to 2000 masl, this coffee is from the highest farms. The main varieties here are Caturra, Castillo and Variedad Colombia. They currently have 3747 members, of which 2098 are active members who deliver their coffee berries to the cooperative's reception points in the respective local villages (Veredas). They have shopping places in Gigante, Garzon, Guadalupe, Suaza Tarqui, Pital, Agrado. The harvest in central Huila is very widespread - some have the main harvest in May - July and others from October - December.

 

  

 
The coffee is picked in four batches during a harvest when the berries on a coffee tree ripen at different speeds. This coffee is from the second or third pick as it is considered to be of the highest quality. The coffee, which is the standardized process for processing coffee in the Huila area, is then washed, resulting in dry fermentation.

 

 

 

 
This is the most common and most commonly used method. The farmer will have a small beneficio, ie a small manual or electric peeler and a fermentation tank. They remove the berries' pulp in the afternoon and then proceed directly into the fermentation tank. There it can stay from one to two days, depending on the temperature. Higher temperature will speed up the fermentation process, and lower temperature will slow it down. Some manufacturers do intermediate rinsing with water, which can also help them control the process.


The coffee beans are then washed in tanks or small channels before removing the floats. For those without channels, it is common to wash the coffee in the fermentation tank and skim off the float before it goes to drying.

 

 

 

 
For small farmers in regions like Huila, the coffee is usually sun-dried in satellite dish dryers that almost act as greenhouses. The better producers have well-ventilated premises. There are many different varieties and constructions, but in general they are all systems that can protect coffee from rain. In general, the producers who have constructions with good ventilation and manage to dry the coffee down to below 11% in 10 - 18 days often have very good and consistent coffee. Drying in Huila is a big challenge due to rain and high humidity. During drying, the producers sort the coffee by hand according to contaminants and defects.

By receiving premium payments, producers can improve their facilities, build new or reconstruct dryers to increase ventilation and possibly add shade nets for slower drying, thereby improving coffee quality and longevity.



Sustainability:

Through Coocentral, $ 2.8 million has been spent on social programs since 2005 to improve farmers' living standards with everything from university education to health care (Coocentral, for example, pays 50% of their hospital bills). The cooperative helps to build infrastructure on the farms. Growers receive 100% of the premium for their coffee sold.

 

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