Press Releases

Providence Organics Coffee

25 Jan 2011

A taste of the Colombian mountains lands in West London

When James Deeble went back-packing around South America in January last year he ended up in Colombia, more particularly the northern Sierra Nevada mountain region. It was a journey that led him to discover a group of unique
indigenous coffee farmers, and resulted in him bringing their Fairtrade organic coffee back to London.

He had already decided to start a business on his return.“I wanted a company that combined my passion for coffee with an interest in exciting cultures and the environment.” he reflects. “Colombia is the biggest Arabica coffee producer in the world, and there’s a lot of good coffees there I could have imported, but I wanted a coffee that also told a story about where it was grown and its farmers.”

In his coffee quest, he got permission to visit the protected community of the Arhuaco Indians based in the Sierra Nevada. “They are a community that have maintained their traditions and farming practices for hundreds of years. Their organic coffee is grown in small farms-holds 1300 metres above sea level and harvested by hand once the beans are ripe. All the coffee is Fairtrade-certified which guarantees the farmers receive an additional premium on their crop. This helps the community to continue with their farming practices as well as support their families.” James explains. “The Arhuaco’s are an interesting group that have their own language and spiritual beliefs which focus on the protection of the Sierra Nevada which they call ‘mother earth’. They do this through maintaining their environment with small scale sustainable agriculture that doesn’t have an adverse impact on the land. They have never used chemical fertilisers or pesticides and the water used in the farming process comes from local mountain springs. Therefore, all the coffee they grow is certified organic.”

Historically, the socially indigenous farmers haven’t had an easy ride, he adds. “Over the years they have had to deal with everything from battling with Spanish colonisers, to the Colombian drug war impacting their home. I think that it has been very important for this group of farmers to be involved in selling a commercial crop such as coffee so that the income they receive can contribute to the upkeep of their farms and also maintain the community’s self-sufficiency”.

James’s new company, Providence Organics, based in Richmond, West London, imports the green coffee beans directly from Colombia where they are then locally roasted. “We are different to a lot of coffee companies in that we import the green beans ourselves,” he says, “this can sometimes be difficult because of the work involved in importing goods into the UK, but it was important for me to meet the farmers and buy the coffee from the source.”

While he is happy to talk about the different issues surrounding exporting and importing of the coffee, it is clearly the social side that really enthuses and rewards James. He is proud for his coffee to be certified organic and Fairtrade, and keeps regular contact with the farmers to keep updated on their community and current coffee crops. “As far as Fairtrade is concerned, I can really see how it works to help the growers involved. I’ve witnessed first hand the difficulties that farmers face in developing countries and know that the additional premium they receive from Fairtrade can really make a difference to their lives and families.”

And while it was the Fairtrade aspect and the interesting story that led him to form a permanent link with the community, the organic quality is a brilliant bonus, he says: “I’m a big fan of the organic process and its respect for the soil. The Arhuaco don’t want to impact on the area around them, like many larger coffee growers can do, and that suits my philosophy for the business perfectly”.

To read more about the story behind Providence Organics and for sales visit www.providenceorganics.co.uk . You can also find James selling his Fairtrade organic coffee at various events in and around the capital.