Description

The Coffee

Caffeine is removed using Green Coffee Extract (water supersaturated with the soluble components of coffee except caffeine) and a special carbon filter system. The caffeine is extracted by the ECV, which circulates continuously between the carbon filters and the extraction columns. These filters only trap the caffeine and allow the rest of the components to return to the beans. It is a 100% sustainable process, as the caffeine-laden carbon filters are burned in a regeneration furnace, providing energy to the entire system. The result is a net extraction process whereby only the caffeine is removed, leaving the flavor characteristics of the coffee intact according to its origin.

The Region

Huila is a department located in the southern part of the Andean region and is currently the leading department in Colombia in terms of both production and quality. Huila is the epicenter of the world’s best specialty coffees. This is evidenced by the repeated titles that “opita” coffee growers have won in the “Cup of Excellence” competition. Coffee growing in this department is characterized by sustainable production practices, taking into account soil conservation, respect for natural forests, and the use of environmental resources. Its producers are aware that quality and consistency are the key to improving their income, with additional social programs and services that help improve their quality of life, viewing the farm as a business unit that must be profitable and competitive at the same time, carrying out this activity under semi-shade, with 139,138 hectares planted in 35 municipalities.

The Cooperative

This department borders Tolima, Cundinamarca, Meta, Caquetá, and Cauca, and is the source of rivers between mountains, showcasing its variety of landscapes with diverse natural elements such as volcanoes, lowlands and rolling hills, rainfall, winds, and temperatures that vary according to altitude. It is known that within this department there are different types of thermal floors, such as warm, moorland, cold, and, to a greater extent, temperate. But beyond its privileged geographical conditions, the commitment and dedication of Huila’s producers to the quality of the bean, taking care of each stage of the process, have contributed to enhancing the intrinsic qualities of the bean. Cadefihuila was founded in 1963 as an initiative and response to the need to market the parchment coffee of Huila producers, but also as a need for small producers to group together in a cooperative entity that would represent their interests. This is the cooperative we have today with its 3,950 members.