FROM FARM-TO-CUP: COLOMBIA, ALMA FATIMA
““We’d like to share about how El Fénix has developed, and what is now possible thanks to the support of a small group of roasters.” — Raw Material Coffee (CIC)”
To those familiar with the coffee industry, it will come as no surprise that 60% of beans come from smallholder farms, and of those farms, 44% of farmers live in impoverished conditions. Given this industry impacts so many individual lives, we have a collective responsibility to do whatever we can to improve the quality of those livelihoods. This is why Stitch Coffee donated to the 2016 El Fénix development Kickstarter, and continues to retail the Wush Wush harvest一from the lot of trees named in Fatima’s honour一every season.
MORE THAN A FARM: THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINCA EL FÉNIX
Our founder Nawar was part of a group of roasters who contributed to the development of El Fénix in December 2016. Today, the farm operates as three main components: an organic, rare-variety coffee forest, community wet mill, and post-harvest cupping lab all on one site!
The brainchild of UK Community Interest Company Raw Material Coffee, the farm’s ability to coalesce several facets of the supply chain into one community farm gives greater control to its network of Colombian smallholders. This goes a long way in stabilising an otherwise often volatile coffee market and ensures that 100% of profits end up in the hands of the producers.
The company’s CIC designation means less reliance on NGO funding and more onus on effective altruism. Their complete focus on only producing specialty coffee creates an ethical trade cycle where:
Producing quality coffee = stable sustainable pricing = better community outcomes = happy roasters and producers alike!
After USD 140,000 was raised and the development of El Fénix was completed in 2018, STITCH COFFEE was given:
1. The honour of naming one of the new 1,000 tree lots
2. 240kg of the chosen lots’ first harvest
3. Continuous first pick of all subsequent harvests from the chosen lot
This is how our partnership with producer Miguel Fajardo Mendoza and his thriving lot of Alma Fatima (‘the spirit of Fatima’) coffee trees on El Fénix came to be.
THE BEAN: WHAT IS WUSH WUSH COFFEE?
Among the many rare coffee varieties growing on El Fénix, you will find Alma Fatima growing at the farm’s highest point (1,750–1,800 MASL)! The Wush Wush variety thrives in high altitudes, which is why this particular lot lies comfy just beneath the peaks of Las Peñas Blancas.
The phenotype that Miguel grows has distinct, orange-striped variances on the cherries. Wush Wush is a relatively unknown variety in Colombia (having only made the migration from Ethiopia three decades ago) and is often mistaken for Geisha thanks to its floral characteristics and love for high elevation.
While small, the yields from this lot are mighty, carrying inherent notes of lemongrass, guava, and strawberry. Upon receiving a light roast at the STITCH COFFEE roastery in Sydney, these flavours register slightly more citrusy, developing hints of lime leaf, pomelo, and sugar.
POST-HARVEST: HONEY PROCESSING & CUPPING LAB
Alongside being a third-generation coffee producer, Miguel is also head of operations at Raw Material Coffee. On El Fénix, he not only processes his Wush Wush cherries but assists with farming management and cupping courses at the wet mill and cupping lab for the local community and visiting roasters.
Miguel used a honey process (also known as pulped natural or semi-washed) on this lot, where some remnants of mucilage from the cherry are left on the coffee bean as it dries. The coffee is then left to dry on raised beds in the community wet mill, allowing the beans to develop even sweeter flavours and creamier texture.
Boasting a nice cleanliness, medium-to-high acidity, and lots of sweetness, we reckon this is one Mum is sure to love come Mother’s Day! We recommend brewing filter or espresso so you can fully enjoy the flavours in this coffee.
You can purchase a bag of Colombia, Alma Fatima for Mum online here or in the Stitch Coffee cafes.
All images used have been sourced from Raw Material Coffee (photographers: Andrea Jiminez and Jessie May).