When you buy Colombian coffee, you can be quite sure you buy a high-end quality, wet-milled Arabica coffee and nothing else. This fact is closely related to the works of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) that was founded in 1927 and monitors production to ensure export quality standards are met and the strict enforcement of export rules. Since 1959 the FNC created the fictional figure of “Juan Valdez”, promoting Colombian coffee; a very successful marketing campaign that still goes on.
Colombia has excellent growing conditions for coffee: altitude of course, volcanic soils and a climate that allows harvesting 2 times a year (from September to December and from April to June). There are 2 main coffee growing regions: the highlands of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta and the slopes of the Andes Mountains. The region around Medellin, in the center part, is known as the Colombian coffee-growing axis and we find coffees with heavy body, rich flavor, and high acidity. The eastern region is a bit smaller and we can find the cities of Bogotá and Bucaramanga here. Coffees from around Bogotá and Bucaramanga have a bit less acidity but maintain a heavy body and rich flavor. Both regions have quite some altitude (of course) and fertile volcanic soils and the coffee is mostly shade grown.
When roasting Colombian coffee you do not have to worry a lot because it tastes very well in nearly all toasting profiles and it is of course an excellent choice for any blend you have in mind (one of the reasons the FNC was founded was to distinguish 100% Colombian coffee!). As
Colombian beans are known for being high in acidity and mildness in flavor it makes them ideal candidates for espresso and milky espresso drinks. The beans can be roasted dark and brewed strong without you having to worry about bitterness.
“The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia is a non-profit business association, popularly known for its "Juan Valdez" marketing campaign. The federation was founded in 1927 as a business cooperative that promotes the production and exportation of Colombian coffee. It currently represents more than 500,000 producers, most of whom are small family owned farms. The federation supports research and development in the production of coffee through grants to local universities and through federation sponsored research institutes. The federation also monitors production to ensure export quality standards are met. The Federation was founded with three objectives: 1) to protect the industry, 2) to study its problems, and 3) to further its interests. The Juan Valdez branding concept was developed in 1981 to distinguish 100% Colombian coffee from coffee blended with beans from other countries.” Wikipedia.
In 1958 the fictional character of Juan Valdez was created in adverts for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia to distinguish 100%-Colombian coffee from coffee blended with beans from other countries. The character (also a trademark) was first introduced on a whole-page ad in the Sunday edition of The New York Times on January 6, 1960. In 1983 it was to be seen for the first time on tv: Juan Valdez, coming down from the mountains of Colombia on his mule Conchita carrying sacks of harvested coffee beans, knocking on the window of your bedchamber to wake you up with a fresh cup of 100% Colombian coffee
The Juan Valdez branding concept was highly successful and was a big hit for the FNC. Many other countries have followed the example of the FNC, its organization, projection and aims.
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