We source our coffee in Colombia from the Arhuaco . The Arhuaco are an indigenous people who live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the north of Colombia. They look at the world from the mountains of the region because it is their job to preserve and care for the earth in relation to nature and people. The Arhuaco also use the cultivation and trade of coffee to bring people closer to nature and a natural life .
However, they do not stand for regression or even against progress. Rather, they are concerned with remembering their own original roots and living in harmony with nature despite ever-increasing technological progress. And not sacrificing nature for progress!
The Arhuaco people bring this philosophy to the world with their coffee. The coffee is grown completely naturally and wildly, is free of chemical substances and is cultivated exclusively with organic fertilizers and pesticides.
The message of the Arhuaco
Arhuaco coffee is of the highest quality, which is why it has already received several awards. But it is less about these prizes and certifications than about achieving a wide reach and bringing the Arhuaco message about their coffee to people all over the world. It is about raising awareness among humanity and explaining to them that a life in harmony with nature is necessary in order not to destroy the world.
The land of the Arhuaco - the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The indigenous people's habitat extends over numerous mountain peaks and areas in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta - a protected and demarcated area in the north of Colombia. There are numerous small farmers there who grow their coffee plants naturally and sell them to the ANEI organization. ANEI is an organization founded by Aurora Maria Izquierdo that organizes and runs the Arhuaco coffee trade. The proceeds go directly to the farmers, and part of the proceeds are used to build schools and support the people in growing their plants and raising animals.
The coffee farmers of the Arhuaco
Farming has always been a big part of the Arhuaco's life, as the farmers are self-sufficient for themselves, their families and the community. Growing coffee plants and selling the coffee through ANEI generates additional income that is used to expand the community and families. The first schools have already been built to provide education for the next generation. The growing conditions for the coffee farmers are difficult, as the infrastructure consists of natural paths and the high humidity makes processing difficult.
The work of ANEI
It is not easy to set up such a large-scale organization that supports numerous small farmers and distributes their coffee worldwide. But Aurora Maria Izquierdo has achieved just that: she saw the coffee trade as an opportunity for the Arhuaco to not only generate financial resources, but also to bring the message of natural living back into the spotlight for all people.
ANEI wants to use the financial resources to support the individual communities in the region, build schools and improve people's living standards. Furthermore, a lot of research is being carried out in the field of organic coffee cultivation, the use of natural substances as fertilizers and pesticides and the development of fermented coffee specialties.
The quality of the coffee
The quality of the green coffee is increasing year by year and has already reached a very good and high level. We would like to support Arhuaco in offering fermented specialty coffees as well, in order to achieve independence from the stock market price through excellent quality! You can of course find Arhuaco coffees in our shop.
