Strengthening the region's coffee industry

By: Alejandro García Suárez – Advisory Office of Communications

The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, through its Agronomic Engineering program at the Fusagasugá campus, successfully completed a training course in Barista skills and coffee tasting. This initiative focused on strengthening the Udecafé institutional brand and promoting knowledge about coffee quality from cultivation to the cup, providing a valuable learning experience for producers, entrepreneurs, and coffee enthusiasts.

Jonathan Córdoba Fontecha, the program coordinator, highlighted the course's positive outcome thanks to broad participation. The experience brought together producers, baristas, entrepreneurs, and members of the university community, including students from various programs and families with coffee-related businesses. "It was a very broad space, but also very focused on cup quality, which generated a lot of synergy and interaction among the participants," Córdoba noted.

The coordinator added that this course represents the beginning of a transformation that goes beyond traditional production. The university aims to encompass the entire value chain, from cultivation and harvesting to marketing and preparation. Cup quality depends not only on the raw materials but also on proper preparation. This comprehensive knowledge is essential for producers to add value to their product.

The main guest at the event was Edna Brilly Melo Restrepo, a 2015 graduate of the Agronomic Engineering program and collaborator with the Cundinamarca Coffee Growers Committee, now a renowned expert in coffee cupping. “It’s very important that these spaces are created, since we find in the coffee world a culture where producers, consumers, businesspeople, and very passionate people come together,” commented Melo Restrepo. Her expertise helped participants distinguish high-quality coffee and understand the importance of each step in the process.

Luis Germán Roulle Martínez, an instructor at SENA (National Learning Service), emphasized the importance of inter-institutional collaboration. “UCundinamarca and SENA are committed to working together to strengthen learning processes. It’s an enriching experience because the goal is to enhance knowledge, not only in production but also in preparation techniques, so that producers can take their product to the next level and earn higher incomes,” he stated.

The initiative was very well received by the students. Sharic Escalante Cubillos, from the Agronomic Engineering program, stated that these courses “help with training and generate greater knowledge, to know how to market the product and the different preparations.”.

Business owners and producers also expressed their satisfaction. Diego Cáceres Céspedes, a businessman in the coffee sector, described the experience as “excellent” and an interesting opportunity to strengthen knowledge.

Ernesto Rojas Betancourt, a coffee producer, indicated that the course allowed him to "know what type of coffee we are producing," which is key to constant innovation in his production.

With this course, UCundinamarca reinforces its commitment to being an engine of development for the region, connecting academia with the productive sector and strengthening the coffee culture in the Sumapaz region.

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