ST pure

Behind the Beans

Information about Nariño from our Producers:

Nariño is the southern coffee-producing department in Colombia, right on the border with Ecuador. There are nearly 14,000 producers on more than 38,000 hectares. The average size of each plantation is 2.7 hectares per family and this represents only 4% of Colombian coffee production. However, it is one of the most famous and awarded coffee in the country. Quality, climate, profile of the cup and organoleptic complexity are surely the answers!

This region is also known for its production of potatoes, onions, wheat, cattle and milk. Nevertheless, we can observe a strong dependence of family income on coffee growing.

Usually, Nariño coffees are well paid due to the high demand from international roasters and its high quality. The incomes are rather good for the families and many of them diversify their agricultural productions. The small size of their farms allows them to easily reduce production costs to get a good profit per harvest season. There is a strong regional cultural affiliation among the inhabitants of Nariño. Music and food are very different from the rest of the country. Their influence comes from the indigenous culture of the southern Andes and this incredible cultural richness offers religious and traditional festivals full of colors, soft sounds of Andean flutes and rare musical instruments. This department is also a cocaine production area and life in the towns near the forest is sometimes dangerous. Coffee growing is under threat as some people leave their production to pick coca leaves due to higher wages. Our direct sourcing in this area through our agency in Colombia allows us to identify these needs and find solutions for coffee to be sustainable in this specific context.