Beneficiaries of Colombian Specialty Coffee Program Triumph in 2006 Cup of Excellence®

In Colombia’s third Cup of Excellence competition, coffee produced by Luis Alberto Jojoa, a beneficiary of ACDI/VOCA’s Colombian Specialty Coffee Program, was named the country’s best. In all, coffee from five beneficiaries of the USAID-funded project in the department of Huila made it into the top 23 lots out of 605 entries.

This year’s prestigious jury was made up of 24 representatives of international importing firms, roasters and coffee chains, and as always there was fierce competition in this coffee-proud country for top honors. Winners fetch high prices in the ensuing internet auction where 85 percent of the prices go back to the producers. Previous Cup of Excellence winners have received up to 19 dollars per pound, an almost unheard of price for coffee at the point of origin.

Besides recognizing excellence, the competition is cultivating a new demographic of customers who appreciate exceptional quality and are willing to pay for it. The competition’s award label also assures consumers that the farmers have been well compensated.

Jojoa is a 36-year-old married father of four and a member of the Coomagro Cooperative. With only two years of formal education and no land of his own, he worked for years on coffee farms owned by others. Finally he got his break when an employer who appreciated his effort and believed in his potential, sold him two hectares on credit.

Now his land is covered by coffee and Jojoa is grateful for the help he received from the Coffee Growers’ Committee of Huila, which supplied him with a dryer, and the Specialty Coffee Program, which supported his washing and other processing improvements. He said, “I feel great joy for having obtained this victory. I didn’t expect it.”

ACDI/VOCA has worked since 2002 to improve producers’ socioeconomic status in Colombia. Alongside the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the Coffee Quality Institute, and Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia (FEDERACAFE), ACDI/VOCA provides extension services to farmers, advising them on production, post-harvest handling, processing and exporting. The program has also provided processing and storage facilities and research to identify profitable export markets.

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