This is the second year we have purchased the Development Lot from Unblended Coffee.
This company is one of our long time partners, and a consistent provider of our Colombian
coffee. Beyond producing excellent coffees, they are doing excellent work in the region, and
their signature Development Lot is a centerpiece of the work they do. This lot helps new
farmer’s in Colombia build their brand AND offers some financial security in a really direct way.
For us, purchasing this coffee isn’t just about putting a high quality coffee on our shelves
(Though don’t get us wrong, it’s amazing), we’re buying into a program that does a lot of
tangible good.
Last year, I sat down to interview co-founder Sofia Cuadros and learn more about their
missions and objectives.
“We started Unblended because we wanted a way to promote the producer as a brand
here in the US.”
Unblended’s mission is exactly that, giving producers a platform to compete in the global
market. Cuadros highlighted the importance of this mission. Competing globally as a producer is
daunting. It takes a lot of capital and a lot of risk. Unblended mitigates this by providing
education and sales channels that small producers can participate in. Those sales channels
give them a chance to experiment with new processes and build their brand.
“This lot is a coffee we plan to have year round and also allows the producers to
experiment in extended fermentations and natural fermentations.”
How does Unblended encourage its producers to experiment? It all comes down to the
National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (or FNC)—an institution that advocates for
Colombian farmers and plays the role of a guaranteed buyer in the region. Farmers can sell
their coffee to the FNC at a standardized base price, which gives producers a degree of
security. The wrinkle is that the Federation only purchases washed coffee, which has not been
put through any natural or extended fermentation process. A coffee processed any other way
must be sold to private buyers.
The FNC surely plays an important role in the region, but this policy can de-incentivize
experimentation and innovation. There is a wealth of ways to control the fermentation of a
coffee cherry, which can elevate flavors in the bean, or even add new flavors. These processes
can make a producer’s coffee stand out in a competitive international market.
The Development Lot brings all this together. Producers can experiment with new
processes, often with lots too small to sell at scale, and Unblended will purchase them for the
Development Lot. In addition to this, some of these experiments are also sold as single lots on
their own, which helps to build that producer’s brand even further. Regardless, the company
blends these experiments into one big lot, and it brews an absolutely bonkers cup of coffee. It’s
an explosion of red fruit, citrus, rich acidity, with a full body.
This program isn’t just about economic policy. It’s about generating excitement among the
producers. Carolina Ramirez , a star of Unblended’s program, takes time away from her career
as a lawyer to help her family farm, because of the opportunities the company offered. Now,
Ramirez sells single lots of coffee, as well as contributing to Development. According to
Cuadros, the average age of coffee producers in the country is 65. By offering farms the chance
to innovate, it reinvigorates their excitement about their work, and brings needed young people
back to the industry.
The Development Lot will be on our shelves throughout the summer. Make sure to pick it up
to try some incredible coffee and support valuable work in the region.