Colombia is one of the world’s most celebrated coffee origins – a place where exceptional coffees grow alongside dramatic landscapes, rich culture, and powerful human stories. It’s a country full of contrast: breathtaking beauty, immense potential, and realities shaped by history, resilience, and change.
This was my fourth visit to Colombia, but my first time in the Cauca department. On previous trips, I often moved carefully, always alert, never fully relaxed. This time was different. From the moment I arrived, something shifted. The pace slowed, the atmosphere felt warmer, and for the first time, I felt truly present. It felt right.
I found myself surrounded by people I didn’t need a shared language with. We connected through gestures, shared values, long silences, laughter, and countless cups of coffee. Communication felt instinctive. It wasn’t just conversation – it was collaboration on a deeper level, built on trust, mutual respect, and a shared belief in what coffee can become when it’s treated with care and intention.
I first met Jairo a few years ago, but it wasn’t until the end of 2024 that everything aligned. That was when we decided to collaborate – to bring truly special Colombian coffees to Europe, not simply as products, but as stories, landscapes, and people captured in each cup.
Jairo and his brother Julián founded Banexport back in 2005, and their coffee journey began with organic coffee. At a time when organic farming was difficult, inaccessible, and widely misunderstood, they chose to take a risk. We spent hours talking – conversations that stretched late into the day – and I listened, fascinated, often losing track of time as they shared how it all began.
They traveled deep into the rural areas of Cauca, searching for organic coffees others weren’t yet paying attention to. There, they found small-scale producers growing organic lots with remarkable potential. Against the odds, they exported their first container that same year – a bold move that marked the beginning of everything.
That first shipment sold at a premium price, but more importantly, it built trust. Trust within farming communities. Trust with buyers. Word spread quickly. What began as a bold gamble turned into a long-term vision rooted in commitment, transparency, and shared success.
Today, their work has evolved even further. Their focus is now on supporting small producers in a meaningful way – offering guidance in farming practices, processing methods, quality improvement, and long-term sustainability. They currently own two farms in Cauca, where curiosity, diversity, and experimentation guide everything they do.
These farms are living ecosystems. Coffee trees grow alongside fruit trees. Herbs and lemongrass fill the spaces between rows. Protected forest areas create shelter for insects, birds, and wildlife. This isn’t monoculture farming – it’s balance, biodiversity, and deep respect for the land.
We are incredibly excited to bring coffees from their Santa Bárbara farm to Europe. Some of these lots are being produced for the very first time – a quiet spoiler, but an exciting one. Being trusted with these coffees feels special, and we don’t take that lightly. We’re confident this is just the beginning, and that these coffees will return with us, harvest after harvest.
In the next chapter, we’ll take you to Area 18 – the place where ideas become experiments, experiments become breakthroughs, and processing meets innovation. This is where the future of these coffees truly takes shape.
