Reserva San Francisco

Unique Landscape of Reserva San Francisco

Reserva San Francisco is one of CENCOIC’s standout communities. Located in the highlands of Toribío, Cauca, its 242 Indigenous Nasa smallholders cultivate coffee on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central, close to where it intersects with the Cordillera Occidental. This location places the community within one of the most ecologically significant areas of the Colombian Andes.

The area is defined by a mosaic of high Andean forests, páramo ecosystems, and vital aquifer recharge zones. The páramo is a rare high-altitude biome found only in the northern Andes, with spongy soils and native grasses that function as natural water reservoirs. These landscapes absorb rainfall and release it slowly, feeding rivers and agricultural systems below.

One such water source is the Río Isabelilla, which rises in the hills above Toribío. This river, like the forest and the soil around it, shapes the terroir of Reserva San Francisco and defines its rythms.

Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration

The coffee farms span from 1300 to 2300 masl, and most are planted with Castillo varietals. The biodiversity here is remarkable: native flora, shade trees, and wildlife corridors co-exist with agroecological coffee plots. Community-led restoration programs have reforested over 2,000 hectares in the surrounding territories, stabilizing soil and protecting water sources for future generations.

Culture Preservation through Coffee

CRIC - Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca

Reserva San Francisco is part of a larger movement that reaches beyond coffee. It is deeply connected to the work of the CRIC (Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca), founded in 1971 in Toribío. CRIC advocates for cultural autonomy, land rights, and self-governance for Indigenous communities in the region. Coffee is considered to be one of the tools for peace in Cauca.

CENCOIC – Central Cooperativa Indígena del Cauca

Cencoic is one of the groups that has understood the ‘peace-movement’ of coffee. Through coffee, the cooperative strives to improve the lives of its members. The Coop offers advice, education, and assistance during harvest and processing. Cencoic is closely tied to CRIC and has 19 groups and a total of 2757 smallholder families; all leaning heavily on the income from coffee. These families are spread out over the Toribio, Santander de Quilichao, Caldono, Morales, El Tambo, Corinto, Miranda, and Almaguer Municipalities.

Jaime Jusipan, CRIC Maximum Authority 2023-25

During the 2024 World of Coffee Copenhagen, we spent time with Paola Reyes, CENCOIC's export manager, and Jaime Jusipan, a leader from the Zona Pueblo Yanacona, who was then serving as CRIC's Maximum Authority (2023–2025). They shared the values behind their governance system, in which leadership rotates every two years between communities, with no possibility of re-election. This ensures equal representation, shared power, and community-wide engagement. Within this cultural framework, coffee becomes more than an economic tool. It is a means of resistance, renewal, and tradition-keeping. For CENCOIC, maintaining autonomy over their production system is just as important as quality.

Processing and Care

Coffee at Reserva San Francisco is produced with discipline and care. Producers use calibrated pulping machines, carry out 15–30 hours of fermentation depending on altitude, and conduct three rounds of washing with clean water to fully remove mucilage. Drying takes place in parabolic dryers. Once dried to pergamino, the coffee is stored on wooden pallets, in clean, ambient-temperature rooms, packed in jute bags. This attention to post-harvest integrity ensures quality and shelf-life.

Flavor and Experience

The profile of Reserva San Francisco reflects its biodiversity and fertile terroir: sweet and structured, with layers of chocolate, brown sugar, and dried fruit. Notes of yellow fruit and citrus bring brightness, while a creamy mouthfeel and clean finish provide an elegant balance. The final cup tells a story of highland rivers and Indigenous guardianship, of restoration and resilience, of a collective effort to build a more equitable future.

Colombia

Reserva San Francisco

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