An emblematic brand for peace borns in Colombia: the first specialty coffee processed by ex-combatants and farmers victims of the armed conflict to be exported to Europe.
The international launch of the Costal Campesino coffee brand from Colombia represents a milestone for peace and reintegration in the country. This brand is the result of joint work between peasants, victims of the conflict and reincorporated participants of the Rural Alternative School (ERA) of Tuluá , who working together have cultivated and processed the first specialty coffee originating in La Paz that is exported to Europe. .
The event is held between April and May in Barcelona and Bogotá , officially opening the doors of the European market to this high-quality specialty coffee (certified with 85+ SCA points by barista Q Grader). This advance in the field of marketing is possible thanks to the collaborative business alliance between the COOMULNES cooperative and the Costal Campesino brand , which has the support and accompaniment of the UN Verification Mission , the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) , the National Coffee Table and PASO Colombia.
The first of the two events, based in Barcelona, took place on April 20. On this occasion, gathered in the traditional Gothic Quarter, the attendees learned first-hand about the history of collaboration and reconciliation that precedes Costal Campesino. Jonathan and Blanca were the stars of a barista show like few others, in which they shared their passion for coffee and their life stories. Jonathan is a reincorporated and member of the COOMULNES cooperative that has resisted the persistent violence in the north of Valle del Cauca to continue leading this productive project; while Blanca is a coffee farmer from the rural area of Tuluá who has experienced the conflict firsthand, being a farm entrepreneur and the wife of a member of the armed forces in this difficult territory. Their uniting message, once again, has been that "peace smells like coffee."
For its part, the launch in Bogotá will take place on May 18 and will have the participation of important personalities for the construction of peace in the country. This will be an opportunity for collective learning and the construction of collaboration networks, in which public institutions and private companies will be able to generate new alliances for the future of peace and, of course, have a good coffee.
