19 Smallholder Farmers.
Aponte, Colombia
Image with text
There are more than 200 smallholder coffee farmers in the native reservation of Aponte, Colombia. Each harvests and dries their own coffee and then sells the dry coffee in parchment (pergamino) to Jose Gomez and Karen Mora, who process the coffee and export directly to Think Coffee. We have done our best to improve the living conditions of as many of the 200 as we can. Over the last several years, we have provided supplies to rebuild 92 farmer homes in the region that were compromised by a shifting fault line in 2016.Over time, we have come to learn that our impact might be greater and clearer if we create direct relationships with a smaller group within the 200 farmer cooperative. By creating a sub-cooperative with a smaller number of members, we are able to create greater traceability for our coffee. (It is no longer commingled with the coffee from 200 farms.) With Jose and Karen’s help, we have formed a direct relationship with 19 of these smallholder farmers (last year, that number was 20) and have verified that the amount they receive from our purchase represents a livable wage for them.
fair and livable wages.
aponte, colombia
FAIR AND LIVABLE WAGE REPORT
The Standard
Our goal is to ensure a fair and livable wage
for everyone who works on the farm. A “fair
and livable wage” is generally understood to
mean a wage sufficient to enable workers
and their families to meet their basic needs.
For the Central Coffee Growing Regions of
Colombia, the area where Aponte is located,
the Global Living Wage Coalition has
determined that the minimum livable wage
is $509 monthly for the year 2023, which
was the year of our last harvest.
75%
OF COFFEE FARMERS LIVE
IN POVERTY
AND DON’T RECEIVE
FAIR PRICES
(PERFECT DAILY GRIND)
MEETING THE STANDARD
In Aponte, we have a direct contractual
relationship with 20 smallholder farmers who
are paid by our exporting partner, PROCAAL,
when they bring coffee cherries to the dry mill.
In this context, smallholder farmers are the
workers because they generally do not employ
outside labor.
We have verified that on average each
smallholder farmer, after business expenses
were paid, received more than the standard
established by the Global Living Wage
Coalition.
aponte, colombia
FAIR AND LIVABLE WAGE REPORT
The Standard
Our goal is to ensure a fair and livable wage
for everyone who works on the farm. A “fair
and livable wage” is generally understood to
mean a wage sufficient to enable workers
and their families to meet their basic needs.
For the Central Coffee Growing Regions of
Colombia, the area where Aponte is located,
the Global Living Wage Coalition has
determined that the minimum livable wage
is $509 monthly for the year 2023, which
was the year of our last harvest.
75%
OF COFFEE FARMERS LIVE
IN POVERTY
AND DON’T RECEIVE
FAIR PRICES
(PERFECT DAILY GRIND)
MEETING THE STANDARD
In Aponte, we have a direct contractual
relationship with 20 smallholder farmers who
are paid by our exporting partner, PROCAAL,
when they bring coffee cherries to the dry mill.
In this context, smallholder farmers are the
workers because they generally do not employ
outside labor.
We have verified that on average each
smallholder farmer, after business expenses
were paid, received more than the standard
established by the Global Living Wage
Coalition.
project common good.
BUILDING SUPPLIES PROVIDED FOR 92 FARMER FAMILIES.
In 2016, houses in Aponte started to collapse due to a shifting fault line, leaving many coffee farmers without a home. That same year, Think Coffee and Jose Gomez started to coordinate the reconstruction effort. With Jose’s wife, Karen, joining the effort in 2018, we made a lot of progress.
BUILDING SUPPLIES PROVIDED FOR 92 FARMER FAMILIES.
In 2016, houses in Aponte started to collapse due to a shifting fault line, leaving many coffee farmers without a home. That same year, Think Coffee and Jose Gomez started to coordinate the reconstruction effort. With Jose’s wife, Karen, joining the effort in 2018, we made a lot of progress.
To date, we have provided building supplies to 92 families together. In the most recent stage of the project, we have largely completed the restoration of 9 farmer homes with more than 19,000 bricks, 370 bags of cement, 125 sheets of roofing and more than 20 tons of other building materials.
For every pound of coffee imported by Think from Aponte, $0.40 is allocated to funding our project to rebuild homes. Every purchase makes a huge impact.
To date, we have provided building supplies to 92 families together. In the most recent stage of the project, we have largely completed the restoration of 9 farmer homes with more than 19,000 bricks, 370 bags of cement, 125 sheets of roofing and more than 20 tons of other building materials.
For every pound of coffee imported by Think from Aponte, $0.40 is allocated to funding our project to rebuild homes. Every purchase makes a huge impact.
shop this coffee.
nariño, colombia
medium roast
Tasting notes: Stonefruit, Red Berry, Shortbread
This exquisite coffee deserves a perfect score! Its bold and robust flavor is a testament to the hardworking individuals of the Native Reservation of Aponte, Nariño. This region, situated just to the east of the southern city of Pasto, is home to our 19 farmer partners who are expertly guided by our esteemed partner at the origin, Jose Gomez. These farmers work tirelessly to cultivate a coffee that boasts a delightful blend of stonefruit, red berry, and shortbread flavors, a reflection of the high elevations and vast mountain ranges that make up this incredible region. It is no wonder that this coffee is considered to be among the finest in the world.