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Hannah In Colombia

Our coffee buyer Hannah made history recently. Trips to Colombia have previously been deemed too risky. But now the country’s relatively stable, Hannah got the chance to become the first person from Taylors to visit our coffee farmers in Huila, Southern Colombia:

"Driving from the airport in Neiva took us through hot, steamy lowlands up into the lush green mountains, where we reached the town of Pitalito in the Andes. This beautiful area is ideal for growing coffee, both because of the altitude and the climate. However, this year excessive rain meant less coffee was harvested. Prices for Colombian coffee have gone through the roof – it’s the talk of the industry right now."

We’ve been working with farmers in Huila for many years. Their coffee is some of the best Colombia has to offer and gives our ground Colombian High Andes and Excelso beans their rich, sweet flavour and lively citrus aroma.

To finally visit these farms was hugely rewarding and has really strengthened our relationship. Hannah also discovered some really impressive environmental initiatives, including a project to protect some recently discovered rare bird species.

"Seeing how our sustainable premiums have been put to use was also enormously encouraging. At Los Cauchos, work is well underway on a new café that will serve the community and be a source of great pride. The farmers at San Isidro have used our payments to run a health clinic and to improve facilities at the local school. Even more of an honour, they invited us to come back and present students with their certificates on graduation day!"