Viani

Viani has a special place in our hearts here at MCR as it’s a coffee that has been on our list since we started Manhattan Coffee Roasters.

The co-operative at Viani produce an old world and typical profile. It’s big, rich and has just a slight bit of acidity that’s perfect for anyone that wants an intense flavour experience from a coffee.

Our story

We’ve been working with DR Wakefield and Racafe to improve the quality of "Viani" coffee, paying more for these improvements. This includes using GrainPro bags and better sorting to reduce defects, which has significantly boosted both quality and income for small farmholders.

"Viani" coffee comes from over 400 small farms across 5 municipalities in Cundinamarca, near Bogota. The largest collection point is in Sierra town, managed by Joseel, who has worked with Racafe for over 23 years. He buys wet and dry parchment directly from farmers, pays them immediately in cash, and delivers around 10,000–13,000 kg of coffee per trip.

Climate change has drastically reduced production down by 50% in two years due to increased rainfall. While rain is essential, coffee plants need 2–3 weeks of constant sun to flower. Many farmers also grow crops like plantain and avocado to diversify income, but coffee remains critical, especially after pandemic-related price drops.

Esther visited three contributing farms:

• El Refugio: A 6-hectare farm at 2,000 masl growing Castillo, Tabi, and avocado. They use spring water for processing and unintentionally created a hybrid washed method by fermenting cherries overnight.

• Finca Santa Rosa: A 5-hectare farm at 1,800 masl growing Castillo, with mechanical drying powered by parchment waste.

• Finca Campo Ermoso: A 1-hectare coffee plot among 23 hectares of cattle land, growing Castillo.

Improving quality across these small, multi-crop farms is challenging, but we’re investing in greenhouses, raised beds, and processing equipment. Thank you for supporting this coffee and joining us on this journey!