Originating from the municipality of Ortega, Cauca, which has historically been subject to devastating conflict and drug production, the quality of this coffee is testament to the support and training provided by the Asociación.

This coffee, whose name translates to “Sowers of Life”, is part of a project that is very close to the work we do at Redemption Roasters, with a wholehearted belief in rehabilitation. Ruben, a representative of the association which produces it, explains:

“The region of Ortega, Cauca has been traditionally producing coffee, but also has had presence of illegal groups and production of cocaine. Coffee is the only product that gives the producers stability and a peaceful life.

“The Association helps the producers stop producing illegal products, giving more reasons to their associates to produce coffee so they can live calmly and sustainably. In the group, they have 150 associates and there are 20 that are still producing coca leaves in their farms. The main objective of the association is to help them to concentrate in coffee production, by improving quality and by being closer to the market. They have been able to go through training, education and business management, and in this way have been able to improve the coffee quality and reach better clients.”

We have been working with this group for 4 years. This is a mainstay of our menu, and we are seeing the quality of the coffee improve year on year.

How is this coffee decaffeinated?
First, the coffee is sorted and steamed for 30 minutes under low pressure in order to open the coffee seeds’ pores and prepare them for decaffeination. The coffee is placed in a solution of both water and ethyl acetate, where the E.A. will begin to bond with the salts of chlorogenic acids inside the seeds. The tank will be drained and refilled over the course of eight hours until the caffeine is no longer detected. The seeds are steamed once more to remove the ethyl acetate traces. We use a decaffeination plant in Colombia which allows the process to take place shortly after harvest, and captures more of the coffees value in the producing country.