El Meridiano A

Tastes Like: mandarin, nougat, toffee

Producer Group: Appx 50 smallholder producers

Region: Tolima

Municipality: Rioblanco (Herrera)

Harvests: First Semester: April - June Second Semester: October - December

Variety: Caturra

Altitude: 1500-1900 MASL

Process: Washed

On the south of the department of Tolima, there is a big municipality in its geographical extension called Rioblanco. In the southern part of this municipality there is a corregimiento called Herrera nestled in between mountains with the Hereje River passing on the valley on the side of the town. This area has incredible and unique agroclimatic conditions given its secluded place and closeness to the National Natural Park of Huila’s Snowcapped Mountain and National Natural Park of Las Hermosas.

El Meridiano comes from this specific area and its name from the Paramo (Andean moor) del Meridiano. Paramos are important ecosystems found at high altitude with unique flora and fauna, and they act as sponges where water is collected on the ground and rivers are born in them. In the case of this paramo, the Hereje River is born here and then goes down the mountain passing through the side of the town of Herrera. This has been area which su ered the inner conflict of Colombia through many years, but coffee has become an important agricultural activity. Coffee has been a key component of the life of Herrera and Caravela starting to work with them since 2009.