Traceability
Coffee Sourcing Principles
Connecting with the communities who produce the coffee we source.
For Campos it is important to know the journey of every batch of coffee we source, from the moment it is a seed in the ground to the moment it fills a customer’s cup. As we trace each cup, you get to try these unique and different flavours and styles of coffees from around the world
Take for example, the long and arduous journey our coffees take from Guatemala in central America. Renardo Ovalle owns La Bolsa, a family farm high in the hills of Huehuetenango, Guatemala. Coffee grown here are handpicked and separated by variety and lot area to ensure clarity of favour and traceability. Names and quantity of coffee collected by each picker are recorded.
At the wet mill on the farm coffees are selected to be washed, sorted, pulped, fermented, then sent to the drying patio. Drying times for washed coffees are around 6-7 days, while natural coffees may need to be dried over 12-14 days. The coffee must be raked and turned frequently as it dries in the sun to ensure even drying and prevent any bacterial damage.
Once dried, the coffees are bagged and sent to Guatemala City where they are dry milled and prepared for export. They are also cupped by the family-owned QC team, headed up by Renardo’s wife Jacqueline.
At the dry mill in Guatemala City, the coffees which are at this point in parchment or dried cherry are hulled to remove the outer layer, polished, separated by density using a gravity table and removed of defects by colour sorter. Once milled, they are again cupped by Jacqueline’s QC team.
Either as a separated microlot or La Bolsa blend, the samples are sent to Campos to approve for shipment on an agreed contract. Samples are assessed for their moisture content, water activity and sensory profile.
Once coffee is approved, the coffee is placed into bags which include unique codes which identity country of origin, shipper and lot code as well as the marks and names of the lot. The bags are then carefully filled into containers and sent to Puerto Quetzal port for shipment to Sydney.
Once the container arrives in Sydney after roughly 40 days transit, and passes quarantine inspection, our freight forwarders arrange for it to be collected and delivered to the Campos warehouse. It is once again assessed for its physical and sensory attributes to ensure quality was maintained during shipment before being confirmed for usage in our roastery.
Our customers aren’t just enjoying Campos coffee; they’re experiencing the culmination of hard work and dedication from many farmers across the globe. This in turn helps farmers establish a reputation that leads to fairer compensation, increased investment, and ultimately, higher quality produce.