Smallholder Farmers.
El Paramo-Aponte, Colombia
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.
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 THE WORLDS
COFFEE FARMERS
ARE ESTIMATED TO LIVE
BELOW THE POVERTY LINE
(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 THE WORLDS
COFFEE FARMERS
ARE ESTIMATED TO LIVE
BELOW THE POVERTY LINE
(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.
