Asopep Tolima Sugar Cane Decaf

Founded in 2013, the Association of Special Coffee Agricultural Producers of Planadas (ASOPEP) has quickly become a leading organization in the region. Despite its youth, ASOPEP boasts the largest membership among associations in Tolima and is the sole cooperative with complete coffee infrastructure, overseeing processing, quality control, transportation, and commercialization. However, ASOPEP has faced challenges in accessing financing due to the historical violence that once plagued Tolima, leading to a perception of high risk for investment. To combat this, ASOPEP has diligently worked to establish a new reputation based on quality, reliability, and transparency. 

60% of ASOPEP's coffee is grown under shade, an additional 20% is grown in partial shade, while 20% is sun-grown. 

The natural AE is obtained by a process based on sugar cane, and, together with mountain spring water, they are the only elements with which the coffee comes into contact. This water-AE process allows for gentle extraction of caffeine from the bean, avoiding excessive heat and pressure, thus maintaining the natural structure and characteristics of the coffee bean.

ASOPEP's dedication is evident in their quality control lab, where lots are carefully tasted and segmented. Additionally, a group of passionate young men and women serve as cuppers eager to learn and contribute to their community's success.

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.