Vanilla Custard, Citrus Marmalade, and Caramel
 
MEDIUM ROAST
 
The ASOPEP cooperative produces some of our favorite coffees and we are excited to be able to offer a remarkable women-produced decaf from them as well. This coffee is decaffeinated using the ethyl acetate method, wherein beans are steamed to open up the pores and then rinsed using a naturally derived ethyl acetate wash, extracting the caffeine in the process. EA processed decaffeinated coffees tend to exhibit more sweetness and clarity than other processes and this coffee is no exception. Our roast style produces notes of cherry, vanilla, almond brittle, and maple with a syrupy body and restrained acidity. 
 
Region: Planadas, Tolima, Colombia
Elevation: 1600 - 1950 MASL
Cultivar: Castillo, Caturra, and Colombia
Process: Washed
 
Farm Story:
Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios de Café Especial de Planadas (ASOPEP) was founded in 2013. Even as a relatively young organization, ASOPEP is a leader. It has 275 members, more than any other association in Tolima, and it is the only cooperative with complete coffee infrastructure to control the entirety of processing, quality control, transportation, and commercialization. The general manager, Camilo Enciso, is a regional leader and an advocate for the Planadas-region cooperatives. He catalyzed a partnership between several Planadas cooperatives, which has led to greater market visibility for the region and increased presence at trade shows and coffee events around the country.
Tolima, Colombia has been known more for violence in recent decades than specialty coffee. That narrative is changing with the dedicated work of producer groups like ASOPEP which has, against all odds, become one of the most professionalized cooperatives in the region offering consistent, world-class coffees year after year. Not content with just producing excellent coffee, ASOPEP is also a force for good in the region. In an effort to continue evolving our relationship with ASOPEP we are now offering this 100% women-produced ethyl acetate decaffeinated lot from the cooperative
 
Impact:
Living Income Pricing
80% of the world’s coffee farmers live below the poverty line and current prices paid to farmers do not meet farmers’ livelihood needs. This coffee was purchased using Bellwether’s Living Income Pricing benchmark which ensures that coffee producers were paid a fair, sustainable wage. By purchasing this coffee you’re helping interrupt poverty among coffee farmers by paying a price that closes the living income gap. 
 
Farmer Impact Fund
Bellwether’s Farmer Impact Fund further invests in coffee communities through direct balloon payments to producers who have autonomy to use the money on community and farm-level projects. By adding a small surcharge to your green coffee purchase, these funds are directly distributed to farmers, providing a direct connection between you and your customers to the lives of producers for the first time in the coffee industry. 
Through the Farmer Impact Fund, the ASOPEP cooperative was able to purchase Personal Protective Equipment for healthcare workers in their municipality and launched campaigns to help mitigate the risk of spread of COVID-19. Contribute to the Farmer Impact Fund today to continue investing in the producers of this region. Your contribution unlocks marketing materials for you to promote your impact with your customers.