Colombia

Women Coffee Producers

September 11th–16th, 2023

Sourcing trips make up the bulk of our travel every year. We spend several days in cupping labs, visiting farms, and speaking directly with producers and exporters about the year’s harvest and purchase availability. On this trip, we’ll visit three associations (ASMUCAFÉ, ARGCAFEE, and FUDAM) participating in the Women Coffee Producers program, member farms, and cup fresh crop lots from these associations. Attendees will have the opportunity to book coffees with an expected October arrival. For itinerary details, including expenses and bookings attendees are responsible for, view the information below.

ASMUCAFÉ, ARGCAFEE, and FUDAM

If there’s one myth worth dismantling in coffee, it’s the belief that coffee is “man’s work.” Millions of women grow, pick, deliver, sort, cup, and sell coffee—and that’s an abridged list. Women in coffee production face specific obstacles that are the result of gender bias. According to the World Bank, “Women in half of the countries in the world are unable to assert equal land or property rights despite legal protections,” and countless women in the producing world have the three full-time jobs of being the sole caretakers of farm, family, and homestead.

Through our relationship with Banexport in Colombia, we work with three women producer organizations: ASMUCAFÉ, ARGCAFEE, and FUDAM.

ASMUCAFÉ

(Asociación de Mujeres Agropecuarias de Uribe)

ASMUCAFÉ is an organization of women farmers and landowners in El Tambo, Cauca.  The members of ASMUCAFE proudly say, “Our work is determined by our values, such as responsibility, commitment, solidarity, and competitiveness.” Their mission is to improve their families, quality of life through coffee farming and to contribute positively to their community.

ARGCAFEE

(Asociación de Transformadores y Comercializadores de Café Especial)

ARGCAFEE in Argelia, Cauca, are committed to finding a better market for the coffee produced by its women members.  Argelia is relatively remote, limiting its reach to larger markets. In response, the women of ARFCAFEE partnered with Banexport in 2017 and built a warehouse and cupping lab. The lab is staffed full-time by five professionals, all young members of multigenerational coffee families who have decided to stay in the family business.

FUDAM

(Fundación Agraria y Ambiental para el Desarrollo Sostenible)

FUDAM, located in La Unión, Nariño, is a co-ed association with a women’s subgroup called Manos de Mujeres which was started by FUDAM’S co-founder Raquel Lasso. All the women producers share a sustainable vision for agriculture while advocating for gender equity for each other. “They stand alone because they’re doing their own thing: They choose this way of organic cultivating because they believe in it.”

Trip Details

ITINERARY

Attendees are responsible for booking all flights and their hotel stay in Bogota on September 10 and 16. Cafe Imports will book all other hotels, but attendees are responsible for the cost upon check-out. See TRAVEL BOOKING AND DETAILS for more information.

Sunday, September 10 – Arriva in Bogota

Monday, September 11 – Fly to Popayán

  • Flight (attendee-booked): EasyFly EF 9164 BOG → PPN / 5:30-7:00 am, September 11
  • Hotel (Cafe Imports-booked): Hotel Dann Monasterio
  • Details
    • 9am: Finca Juan Martin + Manos Juntas Producers
    • 12pm: Lunch
    • 1pm: Cupping Facility Tour
    • 7pm: Dinner at Hotel Dann Monasterio

Tuesday, September 12 – ASMUCAFE

  • Hotel (Cafe-Imports-booked): Pending
  • Details
    • 6am: Depart to La Union, Cauca
    • 8am: Visit ASMUCAFE; Producer assembly and presentations, cupping, and farm visits
    • 5pm: To Hotel

Wednesday, September 13 – Travel to Argelia, Cauca

  • Hotel (Cafe-Imports-booked): Pending
  • Details
    • 5am: Depart (6-8 hour transit)
    • Evening: Farm Visits or Producer Assembly

Thursday, September 14 – ARGCAFEE

  • Details
    • Early AM: Farm Visits
    • 1pm: Depart to La Union (6-hour transit)

Friday, September 15 – Travel to La Union, Nariño

  • Hotel (Cafe Imports-booked): Pending
  • Details: 2-3 Farm Visits

Saturday, September 16 – Raquel Lasso in La Bohemia

Sunday, September 17 – Departure from Bogota

  • Flight (attendee-booked): Depart from Bogota (BOG – El Dorado International Airport)

TRAVEL BOOKING AND EXPENSES

Trip attendees are responsible for the following:

Booking/cost of international flights to and from Bogota (BOG – El Dorado International Airport)

  • Arrive on September 10
  • Depart on September 17

Booking/cost of in-Country flights:

  • EasyFly EF 9164 BOG → PPN / 5:30-7:00 am, September 11
  • Avianca AV 9402 PSO → BOG / 1:08-2:30 pm, September 16

Booking/cost 1-night stay at Courtyard by Marriott Bogota Airport, September 10-11

Booking/cost 1-night stay at Courtyard by Marriott Bogota Airport, September 16-17

Cost of all in-region hotels in Popayan, Argelia, and Pasto (September 11-15) upon check-out

  • Expect 15-60 USD per night
  • Cafe Imports will organize and book

Cafe Imports will cover group meals and ground transport. Individuals may arrange private meals or transportation for themselves at their own expense. Reach out to us if you have any questions about the booking details.

RSVP

Connect with Cafe Imports to RSVP.

For more information and/or to reserve your spot, e-mail your sales representative or:

We are approaching this trip with a farm visit-focused agenda and a somewhat flexible schedule for cupping. Attendees will experience a harvest season in Colombia and learn how coffee is picked, processed, and commercialized. Extensive cupping and sourcing experience is not required to attend, but please be advised that Sourcing trips are designed around roasters’ intent to identify and pre-book coffees for their upcoming menus.

Cafe Imports Staff

Omar Herrera

Green-Coffee Buyer

Bea Macias

Sourcing Liaison

Katie Benett

Sales Representative

Fran Lee

Sales Representative

Resource Mission:
To partner with our roaster clients to share experience and knowledge at the ground level, and to build and nurture relationships in coffee-growing regions worldwide in an effort to advance the craft of specialty coffee, from the farm all the way to the café.