Laura Moreno Motta: From Laura's farm to your cup

EPISODE #1

From Laura's farm to your cup

Laura Monero Motta is a farmer of Café Quindìo, the best coffee in Colombia. In this episode of Behind Your Coffee season 2 she talks about the first link in the Coffee Value Chain. Farmers are responsible for achieving excellent taste while respecting the integrity of coffee beans and nature.

The coffee value chain begins with the farmers

What does “good coffee” actually mean? It’s not just a question of aroma and flavor but also of the growers and their respect for the environment; without good growing practices, there would be no good coffee. Every cup tells a story, and every story starts on the farm.

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Where it all begins

Farming, the first step of coffee production, comprises several crucial components. Before acquiring a parcel, farmers analyze the territory and conditions to ensure the cherries thrive. The lead-up to the first blossom is fundamental; farmers meticulously cultivate the land to create optimal conditions for the fruit, which can take up to four years to bloom.

Laura of the family-run Café Quindío farm was born and raised in the UNESCO-protected Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. Following in her farmer father’s footsteps, she discusses how farming lays the groundwork for the entire coffee production process.
“We have a huge responsibility with the rest of the value chain: although it has many steps, if we don’t do a good job, the flavor won’t be good,” she says. “Perfection comes only with the commitment and communication of all the people involved.”

Quality counts

It may be challenging, but love for nature, the land, and this profession is the key.

Quality stands front and center, and Laura states that achieving high quality requires both knowledge of and respect for the fruit.

Laura approaches the intricate harvesting process with a simple philosophy: we should treat the crops just as we’d treat ourselves. So, just as a certain “quality of life” fosters human fulfillment, the fruits need the right amount of shade, ideal climatic conditions, and adherence to certification standards to flourish.

Laura, along with many other growers, doesn’t confine her responsibility to the farm: she aims to upend a regional dilemma. The UNESCO-protected territory’s finest products get exported, leaving locals to sip significantly inferior coffee. To help overturn this practice, Laura strives to make good coffee accessible to her compatriots and educate them on how to appreciate the product as coffee lovers abroad do.

Réflexion sur la responsabilité

Laura déclare qu’être un cultivateur de café responsable donne un café « perfetto ».

Elle traite les différents grains Arabica de la ferme en utilisant le moins d’eau possible et plante des arbres fruitiers dans le respect de la biodiversité et de la préservation des sols. Une fois que les cerises sont mûres, elles sont cueillies à la main, sélectionnées manuellement et séchées au soleil.
Son choix d’avoir recours à des pratiques écologiques fait partie de la responsabilité collective qu’elle partage avec ses homologues : chacun doit faire sa part afin de livrer la meilleure tasse possible aux consommateurs. La responsabilité impliquée dès le début par Laura doit se poursuivre à chaque étape de la chaîne de production, et elle pense qu’une grande part de cette responsabilité envers les consommateurs réside dans la préparation du café à partir de grains fraîchement moulus. Toutefois, une préparation idéale inclut un autre choix responsable : une technologie remarquable qui transforme respectueusement les grains, permettant à leurs nuances de se concrétiser dans chaque tasse.