Jorge Elías Rojas Tolima Typica Anaerobic Honey

Jorge Elías Rojas is a dedicated 32-year-old coffee producer from La Armenia village in Tolima, Colombia. He took over the management of his family’s farm at just 12 years old, following his father’s passing. Despite only receiving a third-grade education, Jorge has become a skilled coffee taster and physical analyst at ASOPEP, and he has been producing top-quality coffees for several years. His coffee, cultivated at an elevation of 1,857 meters on his farm, La Roca, has earned awards in national and international coffee competitions, including the 2023 World Coffee Challenge in Madrid, where he won the award for best honey-processed Arabica coffee. 

Jorge’s farm, La Roca, is located in the La Armenia village of Tolima at an elevation of 1,857 meters above sea level. The farm enjoys ideal conditions for coffee production, with natural shade provided by trees such as Cambulos and Guamo. Jorge grows a variety of coffee plants, including Typica, Caturro, Geisha, and Bourbon Rosado, while also cultivating crops like corn, plantains, and citrus fruits. He is committed to sustainability, using certified organic fertilizers, composted coffee pulp, and biofertilizers from ASOPEP’s CEPAS Biofactory. His scientific and meticulous approach to cultivation allows each batch of coffee to express the full potential of its unique terroir. 

Jorge’s honey-processed Typica coffee undergoes anaerobic fermentation for 60 hours, followed by a drying process that takes 180 hours. Throughout the harvest and post-harvest stages, Jorge uses advanced tools to monitor key factors such as temperature, Brix degrees, and fermentation times. This attention to detail results in coffees with high quality and distinctive flavor profiles. His dedication to refining processing techniques has not only earned him numerous accolades but also enabled him to share his expertise with other farmers in the community. 

The Huila region is one of the most well-known coffee growing areas of Colombia. The Department of Huila has a population of 1.125 million and is located in the southwest of the country. The capital of the department is Neiva, a city of about 380,000.  

Along with Cauca and Nariño, Huila is one the three departments where the Colombian Massif is located. A massif is a group of mountain ranges and the Colombian Massif, which is known locally as Nudo de Almaguer, provides up to 70% of safe drinking and agricultural water for the Colombian population. 

The Magdalena River, Colombia’s largest river, runs through the region, providing plenty of water for coffee farming and generating (directly and indirectly) up to 86% of Colombia's GDP. The mountain range also features the fertile volcanic soil so typical to the Andean Mountains. 

Sustainable Harvest® is a specialty coffee trader focusing primarily on bringing coffees to market that are sourced from smallholder farmer cooperatives in the supply chain such as indigenous communities, women groups and the next generation of coffee farmers.

Their sourcing model is built on transparency, traceability and direct relationships between quality-minded coff­ee roasters and best-in-class coffee producers. Sustainable Harvest® has an on-site presence at origin with staff­ in Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Peru. Each office coordinates their supply including quality management, supplier relationships, source development, logistics, training and capacity building.