Café de Colombia, un ‘trago dulce’ que sostiene el crecimiento agropecuario en medio de la incertidumbre global
94 Congreso Nacional de Cafeteros Foto: Mauricio Moreno - Portafolio
TL;DR
- The 94th National Coffee Growers Congress focused on coffee's role in supporting agricultural production amid global uncertainty.
- Minister of Agriculture Martha Carvajalino presented economic advances and public policies for the coffee sector.
- Global trade is facing a crisis due to state decisions creating uncertainty, compounded by hunger, poverty, and climate change.
- Colombian coffee has shown resilience and resistance, serving as a security and sustainability pillar for the country's economy.
- Specialty Colombian coffee, produced by diversified peasant families, maintained quality and prices during market volatility.
- The agricultural sector grew by 8% in 2024, with sustained growth in 2025, boosted by aquaculture, livestock, forestry, and especially coffee.
- The country achieved 51 new international acceptances for agricultural products, diversifying exports.
- Over 540,000 coffee families and 837,000 cultivated hectares are crucial to these results, with diversification strengthening production.
- The cooperative structure of the coffee sector is vital for value distribution and sustainability, with a proposal to replicate it in other sectors like cocoa.
- Government policies include an agricultural inputs program, coffee year deferment, agroforestry projects, and strategies to substitute illicit economies with coffee and cacao.
- Coffee farming is seen as a contributor to climate transition through agroforestry systems that reduce emissions.
- Areas in southern La Guajira, Bogotá Savanna, and southwestern Antioquia are designated for special agricultural protection to preserve productive soils.
- Preserving agricultural soils is critical for food security and national productive capacity, with efforts underway to combat erosion.
- Women are highlighted for their leadership in transforming coffee cultivation practices.
- A call was made to strengthen agricultural institutions, noting the Ministry's limited staff and reliance on the National Federation of Coffee Growers for technical assistance.