PRF News Feed

Renowned for coffee quality, Colombia is the world’s third-largest producer in terms of volume, and coffee plays an important role in the nation’s economy. Bancolombia, Colombia’s national bank, is looking to further support the nation’s coffee farmers as they pursue advancements through technology and innovation.

Following their participation in last year’s forum, we’re thrilled to welcome Bancolombia as our Official Finance Sponsor for the next two PRF Colombia events!

Bancolombia will be at Booth 33 on the first floor of the exhibition area during the forum. If you’re looking for financing or have any questions, be sure to stop by!

This unique experience connects coffee roasters and green buyers with top specialty producers and exporters right on the Colombian farms and mills where it all begins. 

This year’s host farms are Forest Coffee, Hacienda Cafetera La Pradera, Lohas Beans, and Comercializadora Cumbres. 

We’ll be welcoming guests from companies all around the world, including Flat White Specialty Coffee, Ditta Artigianale, Mayorga Coffee, Balzac Brothers, Peixoto Coffee, Gust Coffee Roasters, and Ona Coffee to name a few.

Will you be joining them? There’s only 3 tickets left and registration closes on August 31, so book your spot now!

“I loved the presence of so many producers. I loved the speakers and sharing of information in dual language. I loved the intensity of the event… Keep it up — the producers need this.” – Bob Fish, Biggby Coffee

Latam’s premier coffee industry event is right around the corner, and our final presentation schedule has been released. Explore the latest techniques and trends with leading experts from around the world, right on the PRF mainstage. 

Get your notebooks ready…

Taste top Colombian and international coffees and source lots directly from local producers and exporters, including:

• Global Cafes 
• !Fest Coffee Mission 
• Ally Coffee 
• Those Coffee People
• CATA Export S.A.S.
• Promising Crops
• CAFICAUCA
• Colors of Nature
• Kilómetro Cero Coffee
• Amigos del Café Surcolombiano
• COCASMIL
• Lohas Beans
• Jaguara Coffee
• Clúster de Café de Santander
• Ic Fundación – Potencia

Huge thanks to MTPAK Coffee, our Education and Cupping Sponsor for PRF Colombia 2023.

Changing the face of coffee production in Latam, the Beca Mayorga scholarship offers rural smallholders access to the region’s premier industry event. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with international roasters and green buyers as well as other producers. Glean info on market trends, explore trade and technology on the expo floor, enjoy coffees on the Brew Bar, and so much more.

Thanks to Mayorga Coffee, a total of 500 full scholarships for PRF Colombia were made available; as of now, only 50 remain unclaimed.

If you’re a coffee grower, now’s your chance to attend the largest international coffee event in the region. Young producers and women producers from Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Ecuador are especially encouraged to apply. 

DAY 1

Title TBA Julia Leech, Toddy, (USA) 

Roundtable Scholarships Martin Mayorga, Mayorga Coffee, (USA) 

Coffee Prices’ Risk Management – Basic Principles Albert Scalla, StoneX, (Global) 

DAY 2

Rapid and Effective Methods for Detailed Traceability Rafael Antonio Saavedra Arias, Trace.Coffee, (Colombia)

The Plateau: The route to growing & financing your exports Luis Fernando Quintero & Rolando Ramírez, Sigma Advisors, (Colombia) 

Current vision for the Rainforest Alliance Certification Program: More sustainability equals more farms Diana María Quimbay Valencia, Rainforest Alliance, (Colombia) 

Bird Friendly Coffee Landscape Partnership Maria Isabel Moreno, Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, (Colombia) 

Regenerate: Sustainable Practices in the Coffee Industry Patricia Tello, TechnoServe Inc, (Perú)

Additional workshops will be added In the coming days, so keep checking in!

Day 1 – Competitors have 15 minutes to examine the green coffee samples provided, removing defects (10 will be present in each batch.) They will have 30 minutes to roast 2 batches of 500g each.* Coffee will be left to rest overnight. 

Day 2 – Judges will review and cup each sample according to SCA protocols, scoring them based on flavor, aroma, and timing. The 5 best batches will proceed to a final round. While judges deliberate on a technical winner, samples will be served at the Brew Bar where PRF attendees can vote for a “people’s choice” winner. 

Prizes to be announced following the competition!

In collaboration with ROEST.

Sourcing Trip Experience (STE) guests will explore Forest Coffee’s farm and extensive processing facilities. One highlight will be learning about Koji fermentation and other innovative techniques by processing coffees firsthand. (Over 30 processing protocols are used onsite.)

Forest Coffee is an export company founded by the Bayter brothers. Beyond El Vergel’s specialty lots, they also work with local partners to offer an even wider range of coffee profiles. With a plethora of options, everyone is sure to find some gems.

The objective is simple: produce the best cold brew possible.

Each competitor will be provided with a Toddy Cold Brew Cupping Kit (set of three) and can use either Toddy SB Paper Filters or Toddy SB Tree Free Filters. Participates are responsible for their own coffee and signature drink ingredients.

Day 1: Brew.
Day 2: Present 2 drinks to judges.

Competitors will be scored on technique, food safety, sensory quality, and service.

The winner and two runners-up will walk away with some incredible prizes courtesy of our Official Cold Brew Sponsor, Toddy.

Early bird prices for PRF tickets finish today – so don’t miss out.

Under the early bird prices, the following tickets are discounted:

Local Tickets: $99 USD – Early Bird $79 USD

International Tickets: $159 USD – Early Bird $109 USD

Sourcing Trip Experience: $850 USD – Early Bird $699 USD

Please note, local tickets for PRF Colombia are exclusive to Colombian citizens & residents.

The No Filter panel series will take place for the first time on the second day of PRF Colombia (15 September 2023).

The aim of this panel series is to discuss some of the most pressing yet often overlooked issues in the coffee industry. We want to welcome strong and potentially divisive opinions from across the industry. As such, we are inviting panel participants to express (and defend) their thoughts on the following three topics:

• Is the coffee industry moving forwards or backwards with exporters buying cherry rather than parchment?
• What’s more important: Price per lb or cost of production?
• Specialty vs commercial: Which makes more of an impact on producers’ livelihoods?

PRF Colombia attendees can apply here in English and here in Spanish.

VIP tickets for PRF Colombia give attendees access to a premium experience across both days of PRF Colombia on 14 & 15 September, 2023.VIP tickets provide attendees with a number of exclusive benefits. This includes dedicated VIP entry on both days of the event as well as access to the VIP lounge at Plaza Mayor.

To buy a VIP ticket, select the “VIP Experience” ticket option before clicking “Add To Basket” here (local) or here (international).

You can learn more about VIP tickets here.