June 2026

Located in southwestern Colombia, nestled in the Andean foothills is the municipality of Torbío where the Tacueyó Indigenous Reserve can be found. The home to the Nasa people. Their worldview or cosmic philosophy sees territory as a living being where mountains, rivers and forest are sacred. This simple principal, guides the community in how they use the land and production. Ensuring harmony between nature and human activity, making coffee farming not only economic but spiritual.

Alongside these ancestral traditions, modern coffee production has introduced new economic structures. Traditional Nasa principles, such as the Law of Origin, continue to guide respect for water sources and soil health. At the same time, the Indigenous Cooperative of Cauca (CENCOIC) helps connect indigenous farmers with international coffee markets. Founded in 1980, CENCOIC brings together 19 reserves and more than 3,000 families, including ASPROCRIT in Tacueyó, the largest association within the cooperative. ASPROCRIT represents over 500 Nasa families, many of whom farm less than one hectare of land. Coffee is usually processed at home using traditional washed methods, although producers now also receive technical training to improve coffee quality and environmental practices, such as treating wastewater and recycling plastics into fermentation tanks.

Global demand for traceable and sustainable coffee also plays an important role in shaping production. Through CENCOIC, farmers in Tacueyó can access certifications and international markets, allowing them to earn higher prices for their coffee. These profits help fund community projects such as housing improvements, education programmes, and bio factories that produce organic fertiliser. These initiatives reflect the Nasa principle of Buen Vivir, or “Good Living,” which focuses on collective wellbeing and harmony with nature. Although participation in global coffee markets introduces capitalist systems, these are adapted to fit Nasa cultural values and collective forms of governance, helping preserve indigenous autonomy and identity.

In this way, Nasa cosmovision and modern economics come together through coffee production as a tool for peace and self determination. After decades of armed conflict and pressure from illicit crop cultivation, coffee has provided many families with a stable and dignified livelihood. By combining spiritual traditions with cooperative organisation and market opportunities, Tacueyó shows that sustainability is not only about technical or economic solutions, but also about culture, community, and identity.

The Nasa people of Tacueyó view land as sacred, shaping coffee farming as both a spiritual and economic practice. Through the CENCOIC cooperative, farmers access global markets while preserving their traditions and environmental values.

Coffee production supports community development, sustainability, and cultural identity, offering a stable livelihood that strengthens autonomy and peace. The coffees are sweet, balanced with a vibrant cup profile. The dark roasting makes this coffee punchy, full bodied and with the richness of dark chocolate ganache.

This fully washed coffee comes from the Sidama region in the southern Ethiopian highlands south of Lake Awasa, an area celebrated for producing some of the world’s finest specialty coffees.

This coffee is named in honour of the Ethiopian wolf also known as the Simien fox or Red Jackal, and called Ky kebero in Amharic the working language of Ethiopia. With only around 500 left in the wild, the Ethiopian wolf is Africa’s most endangered carnivore and one of the rarest wild dog species in the world. One of the largest remaining populations lives in the Bale Mountains, west of Yirgacheffe.

Covoya, the import company that we purchased this coffee through here in the UK, has been working closely with the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme since 2024. Professor Claudio Sillero founded the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) 30 years ago and has devoted his life to the protection of Ethiopia’s iconic wolf and its ecosystem. A donation to the EWCP was made when we purchased this coffee.

Sidama has earned a global reputation for exceptional coffee thanks to its unique growing conditions. High elevations of up to 2,200 metres, fertile soil, regular rainfall, and generations of local coffee growing knowledge all contribute to the quality of the harvest. Ethiopia’s native heirloom coffee varieties, many of which still grow wild, give these coffees their distinctive flavour profile. Bright citrus acidity balanced with notes of stone fruit, sweet chocolate, and delicate floral and herbal tones like lavender, jasmine, bergamot and hops.

This lot is produced using a traditional fully washed process. Ripe cherries are carefully handpicked and sorted by flotation before being depulped on the same day they are harvested. The beans are then fermented for 36–48 hours and thoroughly washed in clean water channels to remove any remaining fruit.

Still protected by their parchment layer, the beans are dried in the sun on raised African beds for 12–15 days, depending on the weather. During drying, the coffee is regularly turned to ensure consistency, covered during the hottest part of the day to protect it from intense sunlight, and sheltered overnight from moisture and rain.

Once the coffee reaches the ideal moisture level, it is transported to Addis Ababa for dry milling, grading, sorting, and final hand selection before being packed in GrainPro bags ready for export.

This coffee is named after the Amharic word for Ethiopian wolf. This particular species is Africa’s most endangered carnivore. But over 150 of the remaining animals roam the Bale Mountains just to the west of where this coffee is grown.

Coffees from this region are renowned for their sweet chocolate, citrus and floral character. Roasting to a medium level has developed the sweetness and body of this coffee, making it a great espresso. A filter-style brew will bring out those floral notes and stone fruit flavour.

*A donation to the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme was made when we purchased this coffee.