Lohas Beans leads the first organic coffee certification program with former Guerilla Combatants in support to the peace implementation process in Colombia.
CI lohas beans SAS BIC is the main exporter of Colombian organic and Fair Trade certified coffee. We are also a B Certified*1 Corporation since 2014 and the first BIC*2 Company in the country since 2018. The Colombian Government through ARN*3 invited us to be a part of the peace implementation productive projects with former FARC guerilla combatants. For the past 18 months, we have worked with communities in Dolores, Tolima investing significant resources to certify 4 associations with over 145 members and 35 containers worth of coffee production. ACOPAZ is made up of former combatants only and ASOAGROTOL, ASOAGROAMBIENTE, ASOAGRARIA are of local growers also victimized by the internal conflict that had continued for 52 years.
We firmly believe in the role of private companies in building Colombia’s future and an equitable society where we join efforts to reincorporate all Colombians victimized by the conflict into civil society. We have exported 6 containers of SCA*4 83+ quality coffee to the US. We expect to export 14 to 16 additional containers by the end of this crop in late September.
This is just the beginning of the process. We are collaborating with UNDP*5 now applying to become a member of their Business Call to Action (BCtA) initiative. We are working to establish the reporting criteria of our social impact with a specialized external consultant. We will continue to play a part to strengthen the Fair Trade and Organic certification programs with communities throughout the country, bringing impact to coffee growers and exporting high quality coffees to our partner customers. We hope that many of you and your customers / roasters around the world will support this significant initiatives. Colombia is greatly in need to export high valued agricultural products such as Café de la Paz – Peace Coffee and bring solutions to the illicit crops that continue to threaten the future of our nation.
*1 B Corp is a global certification for companies using the power of business to help solve social and environmental problems.
*2 BIC is a new title type of companies established by Colombian Government in 2018.
<ES> Sociedades de Beneficio de Interés Colectivo, <EN>Collective Interest Benefit companies.
*3 ARN: <ES>Agencia para la Reincorporación y la Nacionalización, <EN> Agency for the Reincorporation and Nationalization
*4 SCA: Specialty Coffee Association of America
*5 UNPD: United Nations Development Program