EP1671 Part 1 of 5 | When the Earthquake Hit Colombia’s Coffee Region (Ana Donneys + Angel Barrera) Map It Forward

Advertising Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Arcadia Green Coffee, Colombian coffee exporters taking fresh green coffee from Colombia to the world, farm to roastery, direct. New office now open in the UK.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcadiagreencoffee/
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/353877871523

Episode Description

PLEASE SUPPORT EARTHQUAKE RELIEF IN COLOMBIA

Zona J Foundation / IWCA support initiative:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/zonajnet

Colombian Red Cross - Emergency Colombia Earthquake: https://ayuda.cruzrojacolombiana.org/emergencia-colombia-terremoto#afrus-container

This is episode 1 of a 5-part series on The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, hosted by Lee Safar, examining the impact of the August 10, 2026 earthquakes in Colombia with Ana Maria Donneys of Cafe Primitivo and Angel Barrera of Belco.

Before the earthquakes struck, Colombia’s coffee sector was already navigating a difficult environment.

Ana describes lower yields following heavy rain and preparations for El Niño ahead of Colombia’s important second-semester harvest. Angel explains how a smaller and delayed harvest had tightened coffee availability, intensified competition among exporters and pushed Colombian coffee differentials sharply higher.

At the same time, the strengthening Colombian peso was reducing what producers received locally while production costs remained high.

Then, on the morning of August 10, everything changed.

Angel describes driving toward Pereira when animals suddenly began running along the road and his car started moving beneath him. What initially seemed like a problem with his tires became a prolonged earthquake. With communications and electricity down, he returned home to collapsed buildings, frightened neighbours and a cloud of dust hanging over Pereira.

Ana was on the sixth floor of a building in Armenia when the shaking began. What she initially assumed would be another small tremor continued until she could barely stand. After reaching her family, she immediately travelled to the farm to check on workers, buildings and the coffee operation.

This first episode documents what “day zero” looked like through the experiences of two people working directly within Colombia’s coffee industry, and the economic conditions the sector was already facing before the earthquake arrived.

Connect with Angel Barrera and Belco:

https://www.belco.fr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-barrera-8a0b2236/

https://www.instagram.com/koliafobiano/

https://www.instagram.com/belco.coffee/

Connect with Ana Maria Donneys and Cafe Primitivo:

https://www.instagram.com/cafeprimitivo/

https://www.instagram.com/anadonneys/

https://www.cafeprimitivocolombia.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anadonneys/

If you found this episode valuable, make sure you’re subscribed to the podcast and follow along for the rest of this 5-part series.

***************************************

About Map