colombian coffee facts

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Colombian Coffee Facts

Colombian Coffee FactsSong Bird in the Colombian Cafetero

http://www.buyorganiccoffee.org/

http://buyorganiccoffee.org/987/colombian-coffee-facts/

If you are looking for a list of great organic coffees you cannot do better than Colombian organic coffee brands.

http://buyorganiccoffee.org/598/colombian-organic-coffee-brands/


In this article we present a few Colombian coffee facts, organic and otherwise.


The first of our Colombian organic coffee facts is that you can find three kinds of healthy organic coffee in Colombia.


Three Ways to Certify Organic Coffee from Colombia


The gold standard for organic coffee certification is the United States Department of Agriculture. The USDA only certifies as organic coffee that is grown so that farm resources or constantly renewed, soil is conserved and water sheds and water supplies are protected for future generations. There are two drawbacks to getting USDA certification. The first is that getting certified typically costs $500 each time the inspector comes which can be very expensive for a small grower. The next of our Colombian coffee facts regarding USDA is the USDA does not help coffee growers promote their products.


UTZ Certification is another route to follow for the healthiest organic coffees. UTZ promotes good agricultural practices and environmental protection as well as safe and healthy working conditions plus the abolishment of child labor. In addition they help growers promote their products.

http://buyorganiccoffee.org/970/healthiest-organic-coffees/


Rainforest Alliance Certification is part of a broader sustainable agriculture program that includes coffee, bananas, cocoa, oranges, cut flowers, ferns, and tea. Like UTZ, Rainforest Alliance helps growers promote their products.


Where Does Coffee Grow in Colombia?


The next of our Colombian coffee facts has to do with the Cafetero, the Colombian coffee growing district.


You could, in fact, grow coffee anywhere in Colombia except on the beaches below the high tide line and on the tops 15,000 foot high mountains like Nevada Ruiz in the heart of the Cafetero.


But coffee does best between three and seven thousand feet in the topics in regions with lots of rain and lots of cloud cover. Here we are describing the conditions surrounding Manizales, Colombia and the departments (states) of Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio, and Valle de Cauca.


Other Colombian Coffee Facts


There are lots shade grown Colombian coffee varieties and lots of preserved habitat for birds on coffee plantations.


The central region of Colombia was not settled by Europeans until the middle of the 19th century.


This contrasts with the founding of colonial Spanish cities such as Cartagena and Santa Marta on the Caribbean which were founded just a generation after Columbus discovered the New World. Several families made the trip inland to the mountainous area West of Bogota where they founded Manizales with the specific intention of growing coffee in the rich volcanic soil of the cool, cloudy and rainy highlands.


Volcanic Soil Comes from Volcanos


There are still active volcanos in Colombia. Nevada Ruiz was responsible for the largest loss of life from a volcanic eruption in South American history.


This was just 30 years ago and the volcano continues to throw off ash from time to time as the dome rises a few inches every year.


The volcanos are under constant watch and are responsible for the rich soil in which Colombia coffee grows.

colombian coffee facts

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