WEST ANDES IMPORTS
We provide our customers with the finest, single-origin microlots of specialty coffee from southern Nariño, Colombia. Our coffee has a high level of traceability as we select our beans directly from the growers. This unique relationship is made possible via DIRECT TRADE sourcing with CaféOccidente coffee growers, allowing us to pay each grower a fair and consistent price.
Carlos (on the left) and Sebastian (on the right) at the SCAA 2015 Event in Seattle, WA.
West Andes Imports LLC began business in 2015 and is run by its owners, Carlos
Peralta (US Operations Manager) and Sebastián Ortiz (International Operations
Manager). While the company is new, Carlos and Sebastián go back to 2003 when
they met while studying at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Chile.
Carlos is a Biochemical Engineer and Sebastián is a Mechanical Engineer. Over the
years they have shared a number of academic and work experiences in Chile, the
US, and Colombia.
Sebastián is a third-generation coffee grower. The family’s plantation, Finca La
Paz, is located in western Nariño, Colombia, and they are members of
CaféOccidente Cooperative. Sebastián is the liaison between CaféOccidente
Cooperative and West Andes Imports and oversees the selection of beans and the
exporting process from Colombia. Carlos is based in Carpinteria, California, where
he oversees the importing process to the US and dedicates his time to working
one-on-one with roasting companies to help them select the right coffee beans.
This personalized service to clients is one of many factors that sets West Andes
Imports apart.
This diagram illustrates our process for SPOT COFFEE (for purchase of more than 1 sack and less than a container). Members’ coffee beans are tested in CaféOccidente’s SCAA-certified lab, stored in the cooperative’s facilities, and then selected. Coffee beans that score below 84 points (SCAA cupping score) are offered in the local market in Colombia. Of the coffee that scores higher than 84 points, West Andes Imports brings to our location in Carpinteria, California (USA) only the highest quality product that meets our costumers’ profile requests. For clients looking for a higher volume (one container or more) of beans at a better price, we also trade coffee through FORWARD CONTRACT. In this case, we ship samples to the client directly from facilities in Colombia. Once the client finds the right beans, we offer different importing options to the US.
CAFE OCCIDENTE COOPERATIVE
CaféOccidente is an association of farmers (a non-profit cooperative), located in
the southern Nariño Department of Colombia, created in 1977 to benefit its
members and their families who have since improved their quality of living and
earned recognition as the best smallholder coffee growers in Colombia. Their
crops have contributed to the local economy and job creation and have improved
the overall well-being of the region.
With more than 1,800 members, CaféOccidente is the most influential
cooperative in the region. With our exclusivity agreement with CaféOccidente and
access to its industry experts and processing facilities, West Andes Imports is able
to select, cup, import, and distribute the best microlots. Roasters directly benefit
from this partnership and unique business model given the quality and exclusivity
of the beans and our low prices. Most coffee reaches the consumer in 30 steps
and passes through many hands in the process. At West Andes Imports, we
simplify the process and get the beans from the farm to the roaster.