The Corferias convention center in Bogota, Colombia’s capital, became the epicenter of Latin American coffee with the 2025 edition of “Cafes de Colombia Expo 2025,” the most important coffee fair in Latin America. From Oct. 23 to 26, more than 150 exhibitors — mostly small producers — brought life to this long-established must-attend event dedicated to Colombia’s flagship product.
For four days, the halls of the main pavilion were filled with the unmistakable aroma of freshly roasted coffee and the buzz of producers, tasters, international buyers, baristas, and coffee lovers who came from every corner of the country and the world.
Exhibitors emphasized the importance of these fairs in “educating” consumers about high-quality, origin coffee to boost domestic consumption — something that has been happening for about a decade — surpassing the traditional consumption of lower-quality coffee, while premium beans were primarily destined for export.
‘Cafes de Colombia Expo 2025’, Latin America’s premier coffee fair, returned to Bogota
“Cafes de Colombia Expo” is not just a commercial showcase; it is, above all, a declaration of identity. In its 2025 edition, the fair reaffirmed its role as the most influential event in the coffee industry in Latin America. Organized by the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) and Corferias, the exhibition was consolidated as a meeting point for tradition, innovation, and sustainability.
The event featured pavilions dedicated to every link in the production chain: From planting and processing the bean to roasting, cupping, and marketing. There was space for agricultural technology, machinery, sustainable packaging, and, of course, the final product: Colombian-origin coffee, increasingly diversified and valued for its quality.
One of the most notable aspects of the fair was the presence of small producers, who made up the vast majority of exhibitors. Many came from family farms of less than 5 hectares, with the dream of positioning their own origin coffee in a market historically dominated by large exporters.
“We want Colombians to learn to appreciate the coffee we produce right here, the one that usually goes abroad,” explained Sandra Londoño, a coffee grower from the municipality of Pitalito, Huila — the Colombian municipality with the highest coffee production — from her stand. “For years, the best coffee has been reserved for export, while the one consumed in the country is of lower quality. That has to change, and fairs like this help us make it happen,” she argued.
That purpose — educating the consumer’s palate — has become the driving force of a new generation of Colombian coffee growers. Their goal is not only to sell, but also to educate, raise awareness, and demonstrate that coffee can be as diverse and sophisticated as wine or chocolate.
Origin coffee: A new language for consumers from the Coffee Axis to the Amazon
The concept of origin coffee — that which can be traced back to a specific farm or region — was the central theme of this edition. Visitors were able to taste coffees from nearly all of the country’s producing regions, each with its own distinctive characteristics: The fruity aromas of Huila, the bright acidity of Nariño, the round body of Quindio, or the floral sweetness of Cauca.
“Colombia is a country with such diverse geography that each area leaves its own accent on the coffee,” explained professional cupper Juan Sebastian Mora during one of the live cupping demonstrations. “Altitude, microclimate, bean variety, and soil type determine unique sensory profiles. That diversity is our treasure.”
At Corferias, all of the country’s coffee-growing regions were represented. The departments of the Coffee Axis —Quindio, Risaralda, and Caldas — historically recognized for their Coffee Cultural Landscape (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011), held a prominent position. So did Antioquia, Tolima, and Huila, pillars of national production and birthplaces of some of the world’s most award-winning coffees in recent years.
But it wasn’t just the traditional regions that had their space. Emerging areas such as Nariño, Cauca, Valle del Cauca, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta showed how the country has been expanding into new producing regions. Even the Amazon and Guaviare were represented, with coffees grown under shade in agroforestry systems that promote environmental conservation and fair trade.
“A decade ago, no one thought of the Amazon as a coffee region, but today we’re proving that it’s possible to grow coffee there sustainably,” said German Obando, a proud producer from southern Putumayo.
Between 1,400 and 1,900 meters: The geography of Colombia’s flavor
Colombian coffee is mostly grown between 1,400 and 1,900 meters above sea level — an altitudinal range that offers ideal conditions for developing beans with high aromatic complexity and balanced acidity.
At higher altitudes, the ripening of the bean is slower, allowing it to concentrate sugars and organic acids responsible for the coffee’s brightness and freshness. That is why coffees from Nariño or the Sierra Nevada tend to have more pronounced citrus or floral notes. In contrast, at lower altitudes, temperature and humidity favor the appearance of pests such as leaf rust or the coffee borer beetle, forcing growers to choose more resistant varieties and to rigorously monitor biological control processes.
Castillo remains the predominant variety in Colombia. Developed by Cenicafé (the research center of the National Federation of Coffee Growers), this hybrid combines good cup quality with high resistance to leaf rust, making it ideal for small producers who cannot afford major losses due to disease.
However, other, more special varieties with higher value in the international market also stood out at the fair, though they are more vulnerable to pests. Among them are Geisha, originally from Ethiopia and famous for its floral and citrus notes; Bourbon, known for its sweet flavor and silky body; Caturra, more productive and with balanced profiles; Typica, considered the ancestor of many other varieties; and Maragogipe, known for its large, smooth beans.
Each represents a different balance between productivity, harvest time, and cup quality. The producers present at Corferias emphasized that the true revolution of Colombian coffee lies in learning to value this diversity, rather than chasing a single standard.
The challenge of the domestic market: Sustainability and traceability, the future of Colombian coffee
Although Colombia is the world’s third-largest coffee producer, domestic consumption of high-quality coffee remains low. Most Colombians, accustomed to low-purity blends or instant coffee, are unfamiliar with the sensory nuances of single-origin coffee.
In recent years, however, a change has been noticeable. The rise of specialty coffee shops in cities such as Bogota, Medellin, Cali, and Bucaramanga is awakening the curiosity of younger consumers, who seek more conscious and sustainable experiences.
“Consumer education is key,” emphasized barista and national champion Juliana Velez during a conference. “When people learn to identify a good roast, proper grind, or clean extraction, they begin to understand why it’s worth paying more for a coffee that represents years of work by a farming family.”
Another central theme of the fair was sustainability. Exhibitors highlighted initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental impact of production, such as the use of renewable energy in wet mills, the reuse of mucilage as fertilizer, and the reduction of water consumption.
In addition, more and more producers are implementing digital traceability systems that allow consumers to know the exact origin of the coffee—the farm where it was grown, the variety, the processing method, and even the weather conditions during the harvest.
This transparency not only adds commercial value but also strengthens trust between producers and buyers. At the fair, several cooperatives presented mobile applications and QR codes that allow each batch of coffee to be traced from tree to cup.
The return of coffee: A story of resilience after the armed conflict in Colombia
In the mountains of northern Valle del Cauca, the aroma of coffee returned after more than two decades of silence. María del Pilar Espinal, representative of the La Morena Galicia Agricultural Association (Asomorena), embodies the resilience of the farmers who, after being displaced by paramilitary violence between 1999 and 2000, managed to return to their land thanks to the peace agreement signed in 2016.
For years, Maria del Pilar and dozens of families lived in internal exile, far from the farms they had inherited from their parents. “We had to start from scratch, but we never stopped dreaming of planting coffee again,” she recalls. That dream began to take shape with the peace accords, which not only ensured safety in the area but also brought international cooperation programs.
Japan played a decisive role in this story. Through rural development projects, its technical cooperation made it possible to create nurseries, provide training in sustainable practices, and supply machinery for coffee processing. “The support of the Japanese agency JICA was vital, in cooperation with Colombia’s Land Agency, to overcome forced displacement and bring life back to our territories,” Espinal says, her eyes filled with emotion.
Today, Asomorena brings together 84 small producers who grow specialty coffee under principles of sustainability and gender equity. Their beans, awarded at national fairs, symbolize more than economic recovery: They are the testimony of a community that turned pain into opportunity.
“Returning was an act of faith,” says Espinal. “Where there was once fear, today there is hope — and coffee for the future.” The representative expresses her gratitude to the government of Valle del Cauca for inviting them to the Bogota coffee fair “to showcase our project, built on forgiveness toward the perpetrators of our past and solidarity with all victims.”
Innovation, science, and tourism: A fair with the scent of the future
The fair also dedicated a large space to scientific innovation. Cenicafe presented its advances in the genetics of new varieties resistant to climate change, while universities and startups showcased projects in biotechnology, artificial intelligence applied to selective harvesting, and satellite monitoring systems designed to improve productivity without harming the ecosystem.
Coffee tourism was another highlight. Booths from Quindio, Risaralda, and Antioquia offered sensory experiences that transported visitors to a traditional coffee farm, with virtual tours of coffee plantations, live demonstrations of handpicking, and artisanal roasting workshops. The goal: To promote rural tourism as an economic complement for coffee-growing families.
With more than 25,000 national and international visitors, Cafes de Colombia Expo 2025 proved that the country is not only still a giant in coffee production, but is also moving toward a new stage: Recognizing coffee as cultural heritage, a gourmet product, and a driver of sustainable development.
The challenge ahead is enormous: Ensuring that high-quality coffee ceases to be a luxury reserved for international markets and becomes part of the everyday consumption of the average Colombian.
As German Alberto Bahamon, CEO of the National Federation of Coffee Growers, stated at the closing ceremony: “True success will come when every Colombian understands that behind every cup there is history, science, territory, and future. That we not only export good coffee, but also coffee culture.”
At Corferias, that future could already be smelled. Among the sacks of beans, steaming cups, and weathered faces of producers, Colombia once again remembered itself as the country of coffee: diverse, resilient, passionate. And as the aroma spread through the exhibition halls, the message was clear: The best Colombian coffee should not leave the country; it should remain at home — on its tables, in its history, and among its people.