January 24, 2022
Introducing Camilo Encizo
Camilo Encizo farms a variety of coffees in his township of El Triunfo in Planadas, a municipality within the Colombian department of Tolima. We’re excited to have purchased a lot of pink bourbon coffee that was planted in 2019. At first sip, this coffee is remarkably sweet and creamy. It’s reminiscent of a Tootsie Roll candy that’s just melting in your mouth. The coffee is accented by what can only be described as Root Beer, providing what’s otherwise a comfort-driven coffee with an intriguing flavor twist.
In addition to producing outstanding coffee, Camilo is also the president of the ASOPEP cooperative (Asociación de Productores Ecológicos de Planadas). Founded in 2013, ASOPEP is a relatively young organization, but it has had a dramatic impact on the lives and livelihoods of its 318 associated families (202 coffee producers and 116 cocoa producers). They are all small farms that share a vision to support its members’ personal growth, protect the environment, innovate business processes and be a beacon for the specialty coffee industry worldwide.
Importantly, ASOPEP is investing heavily into the next generation of coffee farmers. Young people have often fled the rural farming communities to find opportunities in cities. Planadas is also the birthplace of FARC, and they were often heavily recruited to join at a very young age. As a means to combat this, ASOPEP has created a school for children in the community, where they can learn coffee cupping, quality control, barista skills and business management, along with an education in science and technology. We’re proud to support the work of Camilo and the ASOPEP cooperative.
In addition to producing outstanding coffee, Camilo is also the president of the ASOPEP cooperative (Asociación de Productores Ecológicos de Planadas). Founded in 2013, ASOPEP is a relatively young organization, but it has had a dramatic impact on the lives and livelihoods of its 318 associated families (202 coffee producers and 116 cocoa producers). They are all small farms that share a vision to support its members’ personal growth, protect the environment, innovate business processes and be a beacon for the specialty coffee industry worldwide.
Importantly, ASOPEP is investing heavily into the next generation of coffee farmers. Young people have often fled the rural farming communities to find opportunities in cities. Planadas is also the birthplace of FARC, and they were often heavily recruited to join at a very young age. As a means to combat this, ASOPEP has created a school for children in the community, where they can learn coffee cupping, quality control, barista skills and business management, along with an education in science and technology. We’re proud to support the work of Camilo and the ASOPEP cooperative.