Alba Yanet Narváez Sánchez has been connected to coffee since childhood, learning the craft alongside her parents on the family farm. Today, she works together with her siblings and relatives, continuing the family’s coffee growing tradition while focusing on improving quality with every harvest.

Coffee production at Finca La Curva is built on careful year round farm management that promotes healthy trees and consistent quality. The plantation is weeded and pruned several times a year, while damaged cherries are removed after harvest to reduce pest pressure. Complementary crops such as plantains, corn, cassava, avocados, and citrus provide natural shade, improve soil health, and create additional sources of income for the family.

Fertilization takes place every four months using nutrient blends tailored to each plot and the developmental stage of the coffee trees. Organic compost is also applied annually to enrich the soil and support a healthy microbial ecosystem.

Harvest takes place mainly between May and August, followed by a smaller mitaca harvest later in the year. Alba and her family selectively handpick only fully ripe cherries before flotation sorting removes defective fruit and impurities. Within 24 hours, the cherries are transported in refrigerated trucks to the Área 18 processing facility, where careful quality control begins.

At Área 18, every lot is evaluated, cleaned, and sorted before entering a controlled four day fermentation in
bioreactors. This process carefully regulates microbial activity to promote a clean and expressive cup profile. The coffee is then dried for five days in advanced climate controlled drying chambers that ensure consistent moisture reduction despite Cauca’s humid conditions.

Área 18 was founded in 2024 by three companies with a shared vision: to unlock the full potential of the coffee cherry. Rather than treating by-products as waste, they aim to create value, sustainability, and better returns for producers and consumers. Their circular-economy approach focuses on efficient, responsible processes that minimize waste and transform the entire coffee fruit into high-quality products. By 2030, the goal is total utilization of the cherry under carbon-neutral principles.

This collaboration is more than a technical project—it’s a commitment to reimagining the coffee value chain. Through innovation and thoughtful solutions, Área 18 is paving the way for a more sustainable industry and creating lasting positive impact for coffee-growing communities.