Urrao Community Lot, Colombia | ESPRESSO

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Colombia is characterized by its many coffee-producing regions, microclimates, climbing altitudes, and excellent producers. Coffee did not spread in the country until the 19th century, thanks to Jesuit priests who first planted coffee in Colombia the previous century. Today, coffee is grown in 20 of the 35 departments in Colombia and is one of the world’s top producers thanks to its high and year-round yields. Production is dominated by exceptional smallholder producers, growing beautiful coffee throughout the many regions. In the southwest of the prominent coffee-producing region of Antioquia, is the department of Urrao. The area includes two fertile valleys and the rushing Penderisco River. Before colonization, Urrao was inhabited by the Catío people, who called the land Xundabé, meaning ‘dove refuge.’ When the colonizers arrived from Spain, this area was the location of great conflict when the chief Chief Toné succumbed to Vasco Nuñez de Balboa over 500 years ago. Today, the locals in Urrao are still searching for guacas, or indigenous burial sites, from the old communities. Urrao is now prominently agricultural land, providing vegetables for Medellín. The fertile lands and high altitudes make this an ideal area to also grow coffee and lately, avocados. There is also the well-known Paramo del So in Urrao, a protected highland ecosystem in Antioquia. Our exporting partner in Colombia, Pergamino, have been working in Urrao since 2014, actually being one of the first areas in their Producers Allied project. Pergamino first established this connection after a coffee from Antioquia made it to the top ten of the Cup of Excellence competition for the first time in history. The coffee came from Don José Arcadio Caro and his wife, Doña Marbe Luz, and Pergamino successfully purchased the lot with assistance from Mercanta. Pergamino thus initiated their presence in the region, learning more about the local coffee variety, Chiroso, and the climates of Urrao. In November of 2023, Pergamino opened their direct buying facility in Urrao, where producers bring their coffee after processing. They also offer trainings to producers for assistance with post-harvest processes. This lot is comprised of coffee from 20 producers in Urrao, who each harvest and process their own coffee. After hand-picking the cherries, producers will wash the coffee, de-pulp, and conduct a mixed three-day fermentation to breakdown the external mucilage. After fermentation, the coffee is dried in the open sun, with a plastic covering to protect the beans from any rain or moisture. Once the ideal moisture content is reached, the coffee is bagged and sent to Pergamino’s dry mill in Medellín to be hulled and prepared for export.