The coffee farmer(s):
The Kachalu farmers' organization includes about 60 small coffee farmers working together in the Santander region, in northeastern Colombia. The organization was founded in 1999, making it one of the first projects of the Colombian coffee farmers' organization FNC. Their main objective is to grow organic coffee, focusing on care for the rainforest and a fair coffee price for individual farmers. BOOT Coffee has been working with this cooperative since 2005.

The plantation and coffee:
Coffee farmers in the Kachalu region own an average of 7 hectares of land, located at an altitude of 1100-1900 meters. The coffee bushes flourish thanks to high biodiversity, including natural shade trees and fertilization by more than a hundred unusual bird species that have their home there. As a result, the coffee is naturally (almost entirely) climate neutral. Each lot produced by the coffee farmer is tasted a total of three times locally and then also by BOOT Coffee. This way we can guarantee that the quality is good. For coffee rated above 84+ or 85+ points, the farmer receives an additional bonus. This year BOOT Koffie has increased the bonus extra to give farmers an even better price as a reward for the higher quality and as additional compensation for growing organic coffee.

The Kachalu organization's coffee has regularly received high marks in coffee competitions and has won many awards in the "best rainforest coffee" category.

Organization:
The Cooperativa de Caficultores de Santander consists of about 3,000 members, of which the Kachalu farmers' organization is a small part. Nevertheless, they are leaders when it comes to sustainability and growing coffee in harmony with nature. Individual coffee farmers own their own plots of land and work together within the Kachalu organization. Education plays a crucial role in improving coffee quality. BOOT Coffee has enthusiastically supported several projects that contribute to the cultivation of higher quality coffee and increased land yield, while at the same time maintaining care for the rainforest. Remarkably, many farmers in the Kachalu cooperative own relatively large tracts of land, an average of 7 hectares, compared to the Colombian average of 1.5 hectares.

Recent visit to the coffee farmers of the Kachalu Project
The purpose of this trip was to personally interact with the owners of the farms, learn more about their working methods and processing methods, and gain insight into their financial situation. Together we looked at the future sustainability of the plantations. The farmers at Kachalu prioritize nature over higher yields through the use of non-organic fertilizers and pesticides. They stress that while purely financial considerations would yield more coffee and lower production costs, this is not their choice. This deeply impressed Rick and Tuyet during their discussions.

According to Rick Maas (green coffee buyer, quality controller and head roaster), it is impressive that almost every plantation visited looks like a jungle in which coffee plants grow. The natural shade trees in this region protect the coffee plants from drought and sun, and more than a hundred unique bird species provide the plants with fertile fertilizer.

The yield of growing organic coffee is about 40% lower than growing non-organic coffee. Income is also lower as a result. It requires about four times as much fertilizer compared to artificial fertilizer and requires about twice as much effort from farmers.

How is this coffee made decaffeinated?
BOOT deliberately chooses an all-natural and certified organic process to make coffee decaffeinated. In 1988, our partner developed a patented method using natural carbon dioxide (CO2) under relatively low temperature and pressure. This particularly gentle process effectively separates caffeine and guarantees high preservation of the coffee components that provide aroma and flavor. No chemicals are used during this process, preserving the natural quality of the coffee. Decaffeinated - "Happiness through Taste"! You can read more about this process in the blog article:'How is coffee decaffeinated?'

The name "Colombia Kachalu":
Kachalu means "hope. And hope there certainly is! The cooperative clearly demonstrates that providing top quality coffee goes hand in hand with greater biodiversity, less environmental impact and better income for the farmer.