Colombia - Juan Velez

Juan Eduardo Chamorro Velez is a 5th-generation coffee producer in the Eje Cafetero region of Colombia's coffee triangle, known for producing the majority of coffee in Colombia. He runs the Finca La Delfita farm, which has a long history of coffee production within his family, dating back to the ancestor who purchased the farm. The coffee produced is fully washed and combines tropical and stone fruit, cacao nibs, and smooth florals.

Trained workers hand-pick ripe red cherries at Finca La Delfita and bring them to the wet mill. The cherries are pulped, fermented for 20 hours, washed with clean water, and dried in a mechanical dryer for 72 hours.

The Huila region in southwestern Colombia is a well-known coffee growing area with a population of 1.125 million. The capital, Neiva, has 380,000 people. Huila is one of three departments in Colombia where the Colombian Massif is located, alongside Cauca and Nariño.

The Colombian Massif, also known as Nudo de Almaguer, is a group of mountain ranges that provides 70% of safe drinking and agricultural water for the Colombian population. The Magdalena River, the largest river in Colombia, runs through the region, providing water for coffee farming and generating up to 86% of Colombia's GDP. The mountain range has fertile volcanic soil, a typical characteristic of the Andean Mountains.

Colombia has been producing and exporting coffee known for full body, bright acidity and rich aftertaste since the early 19th century. It offers a wide range of climates and geographic conditions resulting in unique coffee flavors, and nearly year-round fresh crop from its various regions.

The increasing focus on the specialty industry is changing the way traders and farmers do business. It is becoming more common for farmers to isolate the highest quality beans in their lots to market separately. These higher-quality lots are often sold under specific brands or stories. Besides its wide variety of cup profiles, Colombia has quickly expanded its certification options over the past 10 years. The most common certifications available are Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ and Organic.