Udecafé: a seal of quality and innovation

By: Alejandro García Suárez – Advisory Office for Communications.

The University of Cundinamarca has become the first higher education institution in Colombia to receive Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification from the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) for coffee cultivation. This recognition was awarded to the Fusagasugá campus thanks to the work at the La Esperanza Agro-environmental Unit, where the Agronomic Engineering program develops coffee projects with high quality standards.

Jonathan Córdoba Fontecha, the program coordinator, emphasized that this achievement is an institutional milestone. “We are the first university in the country to receive this distinction, which strengthens essential practices in coffee cultivation,” he stated.

The certification has a multiplier effect, making UCundinamarca a point of reference for disseminating knowledge among producers and coffee growers in the Sumapaz region.

This progress also strengthens Udecafé, the university's institutional coffee brand, which encompasses production, roasting, and marketing in local and regional markets. Students actively participate in the entire production process, enhancing their practical training and contributing to the growth of the regional coffee cluster centered around the university.

During the process, the institution was a training center for nearly one hundred new certifiers in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), who received theoretical and practical training on the university's premises and grounds.

Along this path, UCundinamarca also promotes knowledge about cup quality. With the support of experts like Edna Brilly Melo, a graduate and professional coffee taster, a barista and cupping course was developed, bringing together producers, students, and businesspeople. Participants in this experience emphasized that this comprehensive learning strengthens the value chain, as it's not just about producing coffee, but also about innovating in its preparation and marketing, guaranteeing higher quality and better income.

The program includes an academic and practical agenda featuring lectures by national and international experts in agronomy, animal husbandry, and the environment, to be held on September 23 and 24. On September 25, activities will include coffee classification, barista skills, and tasting, as well as specialized workshops in agronomy, animal husbandry, and the environment.

Finally, on September 26, the barista and coffee tasting semifinals and finals will take place, along with the awards ceremony and the presentation of the quality seal for cupping. The day will also feature a flower display on carts, a live demonstration of drone use in coffee farming, and talks by national and international experts on trends in the coffee sector.

With these advances, the University of Cundinamarca reaffirms its commitment to comprehensive education, innovation and sustainable development, positioning Udecafé as a seal of quality that transcends the territory.

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