SEASONAL OFFERING | Colombia Cauca

Roast Level: Light

Process: Washed

Flavor: Lemon, Caramel, Black Tea

Region: Cauca

Farm Coop: Fondo Paez – Café Naftewesh is located in the remote highland regions of Cauca. The Paez (who also call themselves Nasa, or “the people”) are the largest indigenous group in Colombia. Fondo Paez was founded in 1992, with the primary goal of recuperating traditional agricultural knowledge and indigenous culture, which had been buried by centuries of conflict and oppression. 

The main cash crop of this region is still coffee. Therefore, to ensure a stable income for their members, Fondo Paez proposed a cooperative of community based coffee farmer associations. By 2000, they were sufficiently self-organized to be selling coffee through the Coffee Federation’s Specialty Coffee program. Today, they are active members of the Fair Trade community who process, market, and export their coffee via the regional plant at ExpoCosurca, while maintaining full independence in their democratic, internal decision-making process. 

Why we love this coffee: A truly phenomenal coffee with lots of juicy fruit front and a nice syrupy, medium body. We are huge supporters of this farming cooperative and have funded a lot of incredible projects in their community over the years with our direct partnership dating all the way back to 2004 when we founded Desert Sun Coffee Roasters. If you like single origin lighter roasted coffees, this is a must try!

Stoke from the roaster: You know when you eat a carrot from a local farmer and you're like, "WHOA! That has so much more flavor than my usual store bought carrot!" This coffee is like that. It's encompasses a level vibrance and flavor profile that gets my taste buds excited with every sip I take. There's something in this coffee that goes beyond flavor notes and roast profiles. Quality is a core value in the Fondo Paez culture — something passed down and practiced, not just produced. That ethos comes through in every cup.