National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia facts for kids
 |
|
| Founded | 1927 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Coffee growers of Colombia |
| Type | Agricultural |
| Focus | Cooperation, Peasants rights |
| Location | |
|
Area served
|
Colombia |
| Product | Colombian coffee |
|
Members
|
513.000 |
|
Key people
|
Roberto Vélez Vallejo |
|
Employees
|
2,400 |
| Website | www.federaciondecafeteros.org |
The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (also called Fedecafé) is a special organization in Colombia. It helps coffee farmers and promotes Colombian coffee around the world. It's famous for its "Juan Valdez" marketing campaign.
This group started in 1927. Its main goal was to help grow and sell Colombian coffee. Today, it represents over 540,000 coffee farmers. Most of these farmers own small family farms. The Federation helps them by doing research and making sure the coffee is top quality. It also helps farmers get fair prices for their coffee.
In 1960, the Federation created the Juan Valdez character. This was to show that 100% Colombian coffee is special. Juan Valdez first appeared in a newspaper ad. He was a farmer with his mule named Conchita. In 2019, the Federation won an award for helping people.
Contents
How Coffee Came to Colombia
Coffee first grew in places like the Dutch East Indies. The type of coffee called Coffea arabica came to the Americas around 1690. The Dutch brought coffee seeds to their colonies. Then, the French also brought them to their islands in the Caribbean.
It seems that Jesuit priests first brought coffee seeds to what is now Colombia around 1723. People started trying to grow coffee in Colombia in the 1700s. But it wasn't until the mid-1800s that coffee growing became a big business. It started creating many jobs and wealth for the country.
Coffee seeds arrived in Colombia later than in some other Latin American countries. Historians believe the first seeds came through Cúcuta. They came from the Venezuelan Andes mountains. From there, coffee growing spread across the Santander regions. Then it went to Cundinamarca and other areas.
No one is completely sure who brought the first coffee seeds. Some historians say it was the Jesuit monks. They had farms in different parts of Colombia. Other stories say it was Father Romero, a priest from Salazar de las Palmas. People say he would tell his church members to plant coffee seeds as a way to make up for their sins.
Coffee's Growth in Colombia
The 1800s were a time of big change for Colombia's economy. It moved from relying on mules, tobacco, and gold. Instead, it focused on coffee, railways, and banks. This helped the country's economy grow strong. Important leaders and pioneers helped coffee growing expand. They put their own money and effort into this risky business.
One key person was Mr. Carlos Pinzón. He is seen as the founder of Colombia's modern coffee export business. His coffee business was like an early version of the Coffee Growers Federation. He managed shipments, export orders, and even helped with financing.
From 1870 onwards, large coffee farms started to appear. This helped Colombia's economy grow a lot in international trade. The coffee industry became a powerful engine for the nation's development.
In 1879, the Colombian government passed the Coffee Act. This law encouraged and supported coffee growing. It focused on areas with the best climate for coffee. Because of this effort, coffee production in Colombia grew hugely. Between 1880 and 1920, it went from 107,000 bags to 2.4 million bags each year. (A bag is about 60 kilograms).
By 1920, small farmers had done a lot to develop the coffee industry. For many years, they grew, processed, and sold their coffee. The government didn't pay much attention to them. But large farmers started to complain to the government. By the early 1900s, there were about 750 coffee farms. By 1932, this number had jumped to over 150,000 farms.
The Story of the Coffee Federation
As coffee growing grew in Colombia, a group of coffee growers decided to form an organization. They wanted to control the coffee market. So, in 1904, the "Society of Coffee Producers" was created. But it was hard to control the market. There was too much coffee in the world, prices changed a lot, and World War I made things difficult. Coffee growers, sellers, and exporters couldn't agree on how to organize the industry.
In the region of Antioquia, a determined coffee grower named Epifánio Montoya Uribe had an idea. He wanted to create an association to protect coffee growers' interests. He started the "Colombian Coffee Union." His ideas were popular, and the organization grew.
On August 25, 1920, the First National Congress of Coffee Growers met in Bogotá. Epifánio Montoya led this meeting. Many important people attended, including former Vice-President Ramón González Valencia. This congress helped set the stage for the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. They talked about transportation, money, and protecting the industry. The problems were big, and they didn't make any major decisions. But the delegates left wanting to create a national group to help the industry.
It took seven years for those ideas to become real. In June 1927, the "Agrarian Association of Antioquia" decided to try again. The Second National Congress of Coffee Growers met in Medellín in 1927. Former President of Colombia Carlos Eugenio Restrepo gave the opening speech. Twenty-nine delegates attended, including Mariano Ospina Pérez, who later became president of Colombia.
By the end of this meeting, they agreed to create the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia. It was set up as a private, non-profit organization.
A few months later in 1927, the government passed a law. This law put taxes on all exports from Colombia. It gave the National Federation of Coffee Growers the power to manage this money. So, the Federation and the government signed a contract. The government would give all the tax money to the Federation. This money helped the Federation grow strong. It was used to create the National Coffee Fund.
In 1928, the first local committee was formed. It was called the Coffee Growers Committee of Antioquia. Mariano Ospina Pérez was its first President. He was also the first registered member of the Federation.
The first Board of Directors of the Federation met in Bogotá on August 3, 1929. Mariano Ospina Pérez was a key member. He was very focused on organizing the national coffee industry.
In December 1930, the Fourth National Congress of Coffee Growers met in Bogotá. Mariano Ospina Pérez was asked to lead this meeting. He had a lot of knowledge about the coffee business. After the meeting, he was chosen as the General Director of the Federation. He held this position for four years, until 1934.
In 1954, Ospina Pérez became President of the Board of Directors again. His return was important for the coffee industry. Under his leadership, the Federation helped Colombia's coffee industry grow strong. It also promoted Colombian coffee around the world. Colombia became the biggest producer of high-quality Coffea arabica coffee. He built a strong foundation. Today, the Federation helps over 500,000 independent coffee growers and small farmers.
Important Leaders of the Coffee Federation
The general managers of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia do more than just run a business. They also help create important rules for the coffee industry. They can even influence the country's overall economic plans. These managers have seats on important financial and trade councils. They also lead groups that represent Colombia in international meetings.
Three very important managers in the 1900s were Mariano Ospina Pérez, Manuel Mejía Jaramillo, and Arturo Gómez Jaramillo.
- Ospina Pérez (1930–1934) built up the Federation's organization. He helped create a network of warehouses and a bank to help small farmers.
- Mejía Jaramillo (1937–1958) made Colombian coffee famous worldwide. He helped create a shipping company for coffee and a special bank for coffee growers.
- Arturo Gómez (1958–1982) was a leader in international coffee agreements. He worked for 18 years as manager. He had a great helper, Jorge Cárdenas Gutiérrez. Cárdenas Gutiérrez later became manager in 1983. He was known as one of the most experienced coffee leaders in the world by 2001.
Businesses of the Coffee Federation
The Colombian Coffee Federation has created several businesses. These businesses help support coffee growers even more. The most important ones were the "Flota Mercante Grancolombiana" (shipping company), the "Banco Cafetero" (bank), and the "Compañia Agrícola de Seguros" (insurance company). Some of these faced money problems, and one was sold. But they all played important roles.
Flota Mercante Grancolombiana
The "Flota Mercante Grancolombiana" (Colombian merchant fleet) started in 1946. Its goal was to create new shipping routes. It also wanted to offer better prices for sending Colombian coffee overseas. At that time, one shipping company controlled most of the routes and charged very high fees.
After World War II, this fleet helped sell and ship more coffee to Europe and Asia. It greatly lowered shipping costs. It also made a lot of money for its main owner, the "Fondo Nacional del Café" (National Coffee Fund).
In the 1990s, global trade changed. Shipping companies started working together. To stay competitive, the "Flota" partnered with a Mexican company in 1996-97. The National Coffee Fund bought 40% of this new company.
El Banco Cafetero
"El Banco Cafetero" (the coffee growers' bank) was created in 1954. Another financial group, "la Caja Agraria," wasn't helping coffee growers enough. This new bank was made to help farmers get money. It helped them grow, harvest, process, transport, and export coffee and other farm products.
Eventually, the bank had over 300 branches across Colombia. It became the third largest bank in the country. It offered all kinds of financial services to many different industries.
Compañia Agrícola de Seguros
The "Compañia Agrícola de Seguros" (agrarian insurance company) started in 1952. The Coffee Federation created it because other insurance companies were charging too much. They were charging high prices to insure coffee stored in warehouses and during transport.
This company later offered more types of insurance. It covered risks for crops, accidents, cars, life, and health. It offered lower prices and better benefits to all members of the Coffee Federation. The company faced big losses during an earthquake that hit Armenia. This area had many coffee growers.
The National Coffee Fund
The National Coffee Fund (FNC) has been key to Colombia's coffee plans for many years. The FNC has two main parts. One part helps manage coffee production, prices, and trade both inside and outside Colombia. The other part invests in the Federation's businesses. It also provides loans and money for coffee growers.
In the 1900s, Colombia became the top producer and exporter of high-quality, mild, washed coffee. This was a huge success. It happened because private businesses, farmer groups, and the Federation worked together. Colombia's coffee system is a great example. It combines smart private business with good government economic plans. This model has been copied by over fifty coffee-producing countries.
The 2000s brought new challenges. Coffee prices can change a lot internationally. Also, countries like Brazil and Vietnam are producing more coffee. To stay ahead, Colombia needs to be more efficient. This means investing in new technologies, better roads, training, and replanting coffee trees. This is where the Federation and the FNC are very important.
A plan to update Colombia's coffee industry needs about two billion dollars. This money must come from Colombia and other countries. Colombian coffee groups are facing new global challenges. But history shows that Colombia's coffee organizations are strong. They will keep changing and leading with new ideas to get good results.
Trademarks and Inventions of the Federation
The FNC owns many special names and logos for its products. These are called trademarks. Its first trademark was "Juan Valdez". It was registered in the U.S. in 1960. The phrase "100% Colombian coffee" was registered in 1969. The name "Juan Valdez" is protected in many countries around the world. Other trademarks include Buendia, Variedad Castillo, and Juan O’Clock. Many of these are also registered in Europe.
The FNC also applied for a patent for an invention. This invention is related to a protein from a small beetle that harms coffee plants. They filed for this patent in the U.S. and in other places like Europe and Japan.
See also
In Spanish: Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia para niños
