Laureano Chavarro, Colombia

Laureano Chavarro has been working in coffee for over 50 years. He remembers helping his father with various tasks on the farm from a young age, gradually learning about the intricacies of working with coffee. After moving away from his parents' farm, he purchased his own plot of land to start his own coffee production. He now resides at his farm, El Diamante, located in the municipality of Oporapa, with his wife Orfa and their two children.

After some time, Laureano decided to venture into producing specialty coffee. His motivation stemmed from the desire to produce higher-quality coffee, command better prices, and gain recognition as one of the top producers in the area. Interestingly, one of the most notable changes since making this transition has been in farm management. Previously, Laureano used chemical-based fertilisers and pesticides that were harmful to the environment, but he has since stopped using them. In 2021, he made the decision to introduce Pink Bourbon to his farm due to issues he faced with his Caturra variety as a result of heavy rainfall in Colombia between 2020 and 2022.

Laureano begins with selective manual picking of the ripe cherries, which are transported to the wet mill on the farm. Typically, the cherries are pulped on the same day, but occasionally he allows them to undergo an in-cherry fermentation for approximately 12 hours before pulping them the following morning. The coffee is then fermented with a small amount of water for a period ranging between 30-50 hours. Next, the coffee is washed and transferred to covered drying patios, where it takes 15-30 days to dry and be ready for further processing.

• Region: Huila
• Country: Colombia
• Elevation: 1,650masl
• Variety: Caturra
• Processing: Washed