Smallholder Farmers
El Paramo-Aponte, Colombia
Image with text
Empowering Coffee Farmers in Aponte, Colombia
In the heart of the Aponte Indigenous Reservation in Colombia, over 200 smallholder farmers cultivate coffee with care and tradition. Each farmer harvests and sun-dries their own beans before delivering them in parchment (pergamino) to Jose Gomez at PROCAAL—our trusted partner who processes the coffee and exports it directly to Think Coffee.
From the beginning, our mission has gone beyond sourcing exceptional coffee—we’re committed to supporting the farmers who make it possible. After a devastating fault line shift in 2016 damaged countless homes in Aponte, we provided critical supplies to help rebuild 92 homes. But we knew we could do more.
Over the years, we’ve realized that deeper, more personal partnerships create the greatest impact. That’s why, together with Jose, we’ve formed a dedicated sub-cooperative within the larger group of 200 farmers. By focusing on a smaller, traceable network of growers, we ensure not only exceptional coffee quality but also that every farmer we work with earns a verified livable wage.
This direct relationship means transparency, accountability, and a tangible difference in the lives of the farmers behind each cup. When you drink this coffee, you’re part of a story that supports people, preserves tradition, and builds a more equitable coffee supply chain—one farmer at a time.
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 $568 monthly for the year 2024, which
was the year of our last harvest purchase.
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 16 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 $568 monthly for the year 2024, which
was the year of our last harvest purchase.
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 16 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.
Aponte, Colombia
medium roast
Tasting notes: Tangerine. Grapefruit. Caramel.
Situated just east of the southern city of Pasto, this high-altitude region is home to our dedicated farmer partners, who cultivate their craft along with our origin partner, Jose Gomez. Their unwavering commitment produces a coffee with bright notes of tangerine, grapefruit, caramel, and delicate sweetness - a true reflection of the rich terroir shaped by towering mountain ranges.