Organics in action

A powerful example of organics in action came from our most recent trip to origin last year. The Anei Cooperative, based in Valledupar, Colombia, was founded in 1995 by Aurora Izquierdo, the first Arhuaca native woman to leave her community of Jewrwa to study in Bogotá. As a leader of her cooperative, Aurora has used coffee as a tool to uplift her people and promote the cultural presence of the indigenous communities of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perijá.

During our time in Colombia, we were fortunate to visit a particular farm during a training session led by Anei’s Technical Team. This team has twenty advisors who visit every cooperative member at least once every six months. 

This particular training focused on triangulation, where complementary plants like plantain (for shade and phosphorus), legumes (for nitrogen), and coffee trees are planted in a triangular arrangement to boost plant health. 

We were also amazed at how they control disease and coffee borer organically using ants! The team creates penicillin by fermenting oranges and panela (sugar cane), then applying it to a substrate of milk curds or oats. Once dried, this mixture is used to treat an ants' nest, allowing the ants to carry the penicillin to the coffee trees, naturally treating diseases. Genius!

Through its programs, Anei has reclaimed social, economic, and cultural rights for its members, while also promoting food security and producing high-quality organic coffee. Their work embodies harmony and respect for mother earth and offers us coffee that honors the land and the people who tend it.