Working with the FNC

Time with the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC) revealed Colombian coffee’s broader system beyond farms. Jon visited the FNC headquarters in Bogotá and then travelled the country with them exploring farms, research, agronomy, quality, milling, export and farmer support.

Over 1,000 agronomists, the “army of yellow shirts” work directly with the farmers all over Colombia to put the Cenicafé research into practice, improving soil and plant health and ultimately production and quality.
The FNC’s work includes scientific research, technical support for growers and a purchase guarantee designed to give farmers a transparent route to market.

That time with the FNC added useful context. Sourcing coffee isn’t only about finding a great lot, it’s also about understanding the people, systems and knowledge that sit behind it.

Cupping at Almacafé

Cupping is simply the way coffee is tasted and assessed in the same way across the world, as guided by the Specialty Coffee Association — the same coffee brewed in a controlled way so you can compare aroma, sweetness, acidity, body, flavour and any defects without the brewing method getting in the way.

At Almacafé in Soacha, the FNC’s specialist logistics and quality operation, coffee is assessed as part of a much bigger process that includes quality control, milling, storage and preparation for export. Spending time cupping there gave us a useful look at the other end of the chain — how Colombian coffees are checked, graded and understood before they leave the country, and just how much work goes into maintaining quality between the farm and the roastery.

Cenicafé

Cenicafé is the research arm of the FNC and has been working on Colombian coffee since 1938. Based near Chinchiná in Caldas, its scientists work on everything from coffee varieties and disease resistance to soil, climate, processing and farm productivity. The research is then taken out to growers through the FNC’s wider network, so what happens in the laboratory can eventually make a practical
difference on farms across Colombia.

Seeing Cenicafé in action made it clear how much research sits behind Colombian coffee — work that ultimately reaches farms across the country but is almost invisible to the person drinking the final cup.