Colombia coffee has always been an important coffee for Boot and its customers. When my father Jacob started Boot 45 years ago, Colombia was already one of the basic coffees in the range.

This is not surprising, as Colombia coffee is a very accessible coffee. A coffee you can easily drink throughout the day.

This has always been the case. Since 2003, Boot has often purchased Colombian coffee in a direct-trade way. In 2003, for instance, we proudly presented the number 2 in the Cup of Excellence, the Buena Vista farm, an organic coffee, and the Colombian ambassador in Utrecht was presented the first cup in the Rio de Bio store with much fanfare. A pack of 250 grams cost Euro 18.50 but the coffee flew out of the store and many people went to taste Colombian coffee.

In 2008 we attended a coffee festival in Concordia Colombia and bought special larger lots from several farmers. Also the organic farm Mesa de Los Santos provided us with several beautiful coffees. In 2009, Boot started buying organic Colombia from the Kachalu cooperative in Santander. With each kilo of coffee sold, an additional fixed amount was put in a contribution jar for training and study costs in the farmers' cooperative. This organic farmers' cooperative has won prizes in the past. Now that it is becoming safer in this area of Colombia, we can visit this cooperative. Our quality controller and roaster Rick will go there in the middle of the harvest in December!

Limited coffee with the name of the farmer(s), Cauca specialty coffee!
This is a specialty coffee project for five years in Cauca Colombia province and has been supported by us since June. Most coffee areas in Cauca are between 1500 and 2100 meters in altitude. The vast majority of coffee farmers have just 1 - 1.5 hectares of coffee planting and are therefore small farmers.

My brother Willem Boot (Boot Coffee USA) started a project this year in Colombia together with the Federation of Coffee Farmers (F.N.C.) to give farmers a better life through education and we are happy to help. 9,000 coffee farmers receive training and guidance to grow quality coffee. This gives them a better price. It also puts the coffee farmer in direct contact with roasters. The goal is to generate sufficient income and professional pride so that they can resist the offerings of the coca mafia.

The project contributes to welfare and peace in Colombian post-conflict areas through education, the cultivation of high quality coffees, and the strengthening of the relationship between farmer and buyer.
 
In June, representatives of farmer coops were at our Baarn Coffee Shop and the Boot Brandy in Amersfoort. It was a warm meeting. Despite the language barrier, we understood each other. The need to get a better price for better quality coffee and to break out of the vicious circle of coca planting became clear. We agreed to participate as tasters in August in selecting the best coffee lots in Cauca. Cauca has been very unsafe for years due to the struggle between the army and the guerilla organization Farc. Now that the Farc has laid down its arms, things are a little calmer and a little safer. The coffee farmers yearn for peace and more certainty of a better quality and price.

Auction and Feast of the Best Coffees of Cauca
In August, the election of the best coffees of Cauca was held. Over 200 farmers submitted their coffee. From the best 30 coffees, we and the international judges together with the FNC tasters chose the top ten. The winning coffees were auctioned from around the world by buyers from Colombia, USA, Japan, Netherlands and South Korea. The festive atmosphere among the farmers was touching.

The significance of this election and the auction of the winning coffees is best expressed in the statement of a participating coffee farmer:

'I exist because you buy my coffee and use my name'

Boot coffee purchased three award-winning coffees at the auction. From the 'washed' category the No. 3 Maria Renalda Chinauicue and No. 5 Cabildo Indigena Tacueyo. Both coffee farmers with integrity, who are committed to (organic) cultivation. From the 'natural' category we bought the No. 1 from Santiago Andres Bermudez Taborda, a true champion coffee, from a young, very innovative coffee farmer with a burst of energy.

Barend Boot
E:info@bootkoffie.nl
T:035 54 171 78

Visiting/tasting and buying address:
BOOT Coffee Shop
Avenue Street 49
3743 BB Baarn

Good link about this specialty coffee project:
https://dailycoffeenews.com/2018/09/05/best-of-cauca-auction-a-model-for-coffee-success-in-colombian-post-conflict-zones/