Colombia Azahar Narino Slow Food Coffee Coalition

The Producers

The producers who contributed to this blend cultivate coffee and other hardy crops such as sugar cane, corn and potatoes on some of Colombia’s steepest, smallest and hardest-to-reach farms. South-central Nariño is known for its expansive landscape of endless, rolling-green mountains. We work with several partner producers who must walk up to two hours uphill to access their plantings. Although the rural roads and infrastructure in this part of the country are relatively well-maintained and include a long stretch of the Pan American highway, one of, if not, South America’s most important commercial routes, much of Nariño’s towns and municipalities are considerably off the beaten path. Farmers must often travel with their coffee in hired local transport in order to deliver their parchment to Azahar’s Bodega in the capital city of Pasto. A journey which adds to their already high costs of production.