Wilmar Munoz Caturra FW

Wilmar Munoz has loved growing coffee since he was a little boy. He inherited his farm, Finca Guadualito, from his father over 30 years ago and today, he shares his passion for coffee with his wife and his 2 young sons.

Wilmar named his farm after the Guadua plant that grows on the farm. Guadua is a type of bamboo that has been present in the region since pre-Columbian times.

Wilmar belongs to Asoguacharos producer group and, with support from the group, focuses on high-quality specialty production.

While Wilmar’s production is typical for Colombia, every step is carefully controlled to get the best possible results. Cherry is picked at peak ripeness and floated to remove any under- or over-ripes. Then, cherry is pulped and fermented in plastic tanks for 22 hours and washed in clean water. Wilmar dries parchment on elvas, beds on the roof of his home, for 10 to 12 days.

Led by producer Edilma Piedrahita, the 27 producers in Asoguacharos maintain high quality standards and produce excellent specialty coffees. Based in Huila, the group seeks out training opportunities provided by NGOs and the national learning service, SENA. As members of Asoguacharos, producers follow high standards and, in return, gain market access and garner higher prices for their coffees.

Each producer processed their own coffee on their farms and adapts their methods to best suit their specific conditions. This leads to unique variations from each producer. 

In the future, they plan to make their farms a center for ecotourism. They’ve attended trainings on how to set up tours and attract visitors.

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.