Specialty Coffee What regions does Colombian specialty coffee have? What coffee varieties does Colombia have

Introduction to Colombian Coffee

Specialty coffee represents the third wave of coffee culture today. In FrontStreet Coffee's bean selection, let's explore Colombian coffee beans and why so many people appreciate their unique coffee flavor profile. This is closely related to their growing environment in different producing regions. Coffee varieties also influence their flavor characteristics!

According to statistics from the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC), the coffee industry provides 800,000 direct jobs in the country, positively impacting 563,000 families and the economy.

This country is ideally positioned for coffee production: located near the equator, its mountain ranges reach altitudes of over 2,000 meters. For example, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range is one of the world's highest coastal mountain ranges.

Northern Region

In northern Colombia, you'll find coffee production areas including Santander, Norte de Santander, La Guajira, Magdalena, and Cesar. According to Juan Carlos, 62,500 producers cultivate coffee on 129,500 hectares.

This region experiences only one dry season per year—from December to March—and one rainy season—from April to November. Coffee flowers in March, just before the rainy season arrives, and is harvested in October/November.

Additionally, according to the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, coffee in the northern region grows at latitudes exceeding 9°, with growing conditions similar to Central America: low latitude and high temperatures. On the other hand, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains as well as in Santander and Norte de Santander areas, crops are more exposed to sun, so producers tend to use more shade-grown cultivation. According to the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, coffee produced in these regions has lower acidity.

North-Central and South-Central Regions

In the north-central and south-central regions of Colombia, there are producing areas including southern Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Chocó, Risaralda, Quindío, northern Valle del Cauca, Cundinamarca, and northern Tolima.

Antioquia is Colombia's second-largest coffee-producing region, while Tolima is the third-largest region. Both areas belong to the country's very renowned producing regions. According to Juan Carlos, 263,000 producers cultivate coffee on 492,000 hectares in this region.

These areas have two dry seasons and two rainy seasons annually: dry seasons from December to February and June to September; rainy seasons from March to May and September to November, resulting in two coffee harvesting seasons per year in this region.

In the north-central region, they have a main harvesting season from October to December after the second rainy season ends. However, after the first rainy season ends, they have a smaller harvest season in May and June.

The harvesting period in the south-central region is similar: May to June and October to November. However, it doesn't have main and secondary harvest seasons—the production volume is the same during both periods.

Southern Region

Colombia's southern region is close to the equator, where coffee grows in higher mountain areas. This is a high-quality coffee cultivation area: coffee is known for its higher acidity and unique cup profile.

In the southern region, 211,000 producers cultivate coffee on 282,000 hectares of land. This makes the average size of coffee estates in this region much smaller than in other parts of the country.

Like in the northern region, this area has only one wet season and one dry season. The dry season lasts from June to September, followed by coffee flowering. The rainy season begins in October and may last until May, but the harvesting season typically starts in April and continues through June.

This contrasts sharply with the northern part of the country, where coffee is harvested in autumn. As the harvesting period extends to December. In central Colombia, roasters can provide Colombian coffee to customers for most of the year.

Eastern Region

Colombia's eastern region has much smaller-scale coffee cultivation. It only includes areas such as Arauca, Casanare, Meta, and Caquetá. 5,500 producers cultivate coffee on 10,500 hectares.

This region previously suffered from armed conflict, and now coffee production support has become a priority. The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia is investing to help the region grow varieties more suitable for its environment. They are also focusing on helping farmers expand their farm sizes.

This region's climate is similar to the northern region. However, it has more rainfall and humidity.

Coffee Varieties

In addition to common varieties from American producing regions such as Caturra, Bourbon, Typica, and Pacamara, Colombia also has three unique disease-resistant varieties: Castillo, Tabi, and the Colombia variety (named after the country); of course, there are also some rare and precious varieties like Gesha, small-bean Mocca, Rume Sudan, Eugenioides, Laurina (Bourbon Pointu), and Maraguesa (a natural hybrid of Maragogipe and Gesha).

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