"Here in Nariño, we produce the best coffee in the world," proudly states José Herney López, who has been growing coffee for over 45 years in the Department of Nariño in southern Colombia.

He began working the coffee fields as a child. And today, he, his wife, children and grandchildren are one of 35 families who are members of the Coffee Growers Association of Nueva Esperanza or New Hope located in the Municipality of La Florida.

This group is part of 1,960 coffee growing families taking part in an IOM project, implemented in cooperation with Empresas de Nariño, a well-known coffee exporting enterprise and partner of Starbucks Coffee, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Dutch Embassy in Colombia.

Before the project, the situation was very different, says José Herney, "We knew some coffee selling companies, but we had no training or support. Everyone told us that our land produces one of the best coffees of the country, but nobody offered us any help to make an even better coffee."

José Herney attributes the exceptional quality of the Nariño coffee to Galeras, a huge volcano in the Andes Mountain Range.

Experts say this area produces a special kind of coffee characterized by pronounced acidity and citrus flavors, influenced by the volcanic soil where the coffee is grown.

A coffee growing family holds a map of their farm. © IOM 2011

This is the flavor that Starbucks customers taste when they order a cup of Nariño Supremo.

Unfortunately, the natural abundance of this land is not only good for growing coffee; illegal armed groups have found in this region a very good spot for growing illegal crops.

That is why José Herney's family, and other families involved in the IOM project, have been victim of harassment and persecution by these groups, which not only affected their personal security, but has also damaged their socio-economic situation.

Since 2004, IOM and Empresas de Nariño have been developing the "Sustainable Development Programme for Coffee Growing Families Victims of Violence in Nariño". The first phase of the programme received financial support from the Dutch Embassy in Colombia. Since 2009, USAID has been supporting its implementation. A total of 1,960 families have benefitted in 29 municipalities of the department of Nariño. The programme has allowed IOM to consolidate a model through which private companies, in cooperation with international organizations and governmental institutions, can contribute to the socio-economic development of the most vulnerable communities throughout the country, achieving a considerable impact.

"When the people of Empresas de Nariño and IOM explained that if the coffee growers created associations to sell our crop we would fare better, we told them we would think about it because we did not trust them right away. But after reflecting on their offer, we decided to participate hoping to improve our situation," explains José Herney.

At the age of 60, José Herney says he learned what he thought nobody could ever teach him: "As a result of the trainings they offered us, we know more about selection and harvest, the drying process, the best treatments for diseases such as rolla or broca, in order to improve the product we deliver to the company."

He quickly adds that his association has made a lot of progress, including winning the "Coffee Race", an initiative that awards coffee-producing organizations for their productivity and compliance with ecological recommendations.

Taking Care of the Environment

Caring for the environment has been an important element throughout the project.

"They not only taught us how to manage the coffee crops, we also learned that we have to plant live fences to prevent erosion, we have to take care of the environment, preserve the wild plants and animals, and keep the water sources alive," explains José Herney.

These environmentally sound practices, as well as positive social and labour practices, are what prompted the Rainforest Alliance to certify 543 coffee-producing families taking part in the IOM project, including José Herney's.

The Future

José Herney says the future of those who took part in the project has changed forever: "We are no longer coffee picking farmers, we have become technicians and experts on the subject."

Empresas de Nariño is the direct buyer of the coffee produced by these workers, which pays a fair price for their product and eliminates intermediaries who charge individual growers a large percentage to handle their crops. Empresas de Nariño sells the coffee to Starbucks and other clients around the world.