Coffee from Planet Earth

The right place.

 

It is morning and we are high in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, at roughly 5,000 m above sea level. After a cool night a dense mist rises, followed during the day by condensing rain that waters the plants growing here.

Elsewhere the El Niño phenomenon causes serious damage — here, though, it works wonders. It encourages the growth and cultivation of plants such as coffee and cacao.

Those two plants grow side by side here, and that brings wonderful benefits. The coffee trees grow in the shade of native trees, which shield them from direct sun while holding in moisture — with an excellent effect on the growing and, in the end, on the taste.

 

The right people.

 

Respect for nature and treading lightly. We only have one planet. The Arhuaco people have lived by these principles for centuries, and nothing is going to change that.

The coffee beans are picked by hand, and only once a year. The plant is therefore never as exhausted as it would be if harvested several times a year. The mission of the Arhuacos is to protect the mountains and nature not only where they live — spiritually, they keep the balance of the whole world. That is why every harvest is preceded by a careful ritual.

Needless to say, the entire coffee is processed without any modern technology or chemicals whatsoever.

Because to the Arhuacos everything is alive and deserves respect — every ant and beetle, the water and every leaf.

 

The right thing.

 

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is not the original homeland of the Arhuaco tribe. When the Spanish arrived they were forced to abandon their homes and settle these cold mountains, where they quietly survived for four centuries. Sadly, their future is under threat even now.
Through the sale of this coffee and the foundation we established, they receive direct help and a chance to win their territories back.

We have already managed to buy back several plots of land — and we plan to do much more! You can read more about our foundation and its successes here.