Producer Spotlight - Edier Vargas & Minga

Relationship coffee means buying directly from the same farmers, cooperatives and exporters/importers, year after year, rather than through anonymous, rotating suppliers. It is a sustainable approach built on trust, fair pay, open communication, and investing in the producer's long-term success.

This approach is built on personal relationships. People buy from people, and those connections open doors that a standard transaction never could.

At Allpress, we pride ourselves in having very long-term relationships for the majority of our purchases, some of them now almost 20 years long.

One of our newest relationships is with Edier Vargas and coffee importers Minga, who together have supplied Allpress with some of the tastiest pink bourbon in the market for three seasons straight. We have connected digitally with both parties to ask them about relationships in coffee and what relationship coffee means to them.

Allpress - How did Minga come to be? What was your career path and at what point did you decide to create your own export/import business and run your own farm Micelio?

Minga - William has over 20 years of experience in coffee sourcing in Latin America, and Laura about 12 years both in LA and in the UK. After working with different exporters and seeing different models, we felt it was time to create our own, and we chose Colombia because this is William’s home. Also, after visiting hundreds of farms during many years, we got inspired to have our own and research a model of agriculture for the future while keeping the focus on high quality. Having our own farm helps us greatly in the relationship with the producers we work with, we can now share more meaningful experiences and take tips from them.

How did the people you met along the way shape you? Any key relationships without which Minga and Micelio wouldn’t exist?

Many producers have inspired us along the way, showing us the dedication and hard work it takes to produce coffee, and the satisfaction they get when quality is there and they find a market that values it. The resilience of Martha Alvir in a difficult country like Nicaragua, how Maricela Esperon stands up against the patriarchy in Mexico, or the perseverance of Hervey Cuellar to reach high quality despite a low starting point, are examples of inspirations we found along the way.

Some roasters too have inspired us, those who value relationship above cup score, and who work towards understanding the realities of coffee production and logistics.

What value do you see in having roasters visiting producing countries and how relevant are those trips when it comes to relationships between business and people?

Relationships are about connection and trust, so meeting physically, spending a day, taking the time to visit the farm, ask questions, is an important step in building this connection. Roasters meeting producers often reduces the cultural and professional barrier, allowing for understanding and empathy on both sides. Because coffee production and coffee roasting are two completely different sets of skills and risks.

What is your perspective on coffee roasters highlighting their origin relationships?

We think it is very positive to talk about the human side of coffee, rather than treating it as a simple commodity. Food producers in general tend to be underappreciated and undervalued in our societies and talking about the people behind what we consume helps humanise and value our food.

How did Minga get to work with Edier Vargas? How has that relationship evolved over time?

William has known Edier since their early 20s, they used to play soccer and worked in the same company for a couple of years. They had lost contact, but William’s business partner was still in touch and as soon as we started our own sourcing in Colombia, knowing Edier has pink bourbon at almost 2000 m.a.s.l., he got in touch and suggested to try a sample.

There is still football every now and then but much less now due to age! Now, it’s more about coffee, we visit Edier regularly and started working with some of his friends too, and Edier comes to our lab often to learn about cupping.

What does “relationship coffee” mean to you?

It means trust, connection beyond transactions, making sure everyone wins every time.

Allpress - How did you first get to work with Minga?

Edier - I am good friends with Edinson, who is William’s business partner since 2023. Edinson suggested I dry a sample of my pink bourbon and send it to Minga’s new lab in Pitalito. As soon as the team cupped it, they told me the quality was very impressive and suggested we work together to find a better market for my coffee.

How does this relationship differ from past experiences with local buyers?

I used to sell my coffee “wet” - which means straight after the washing, before the drying – to a local intermediary who’d dry it together with many more coffees from the region. Before working with Minga, I didn’t know the quality potential of my coffee, and I never knew who eventually drinks it.

Now I have built my own drying beds, learned to dry coffee so that it keeps its quality for a long time, and get better money because I add more value and have a direct and better market abroad. I also often go to Minga’s lab, on Saturdays, to learn about cupping and coffee evaluation.

Beyond Minga and their customers, what other professional or community relationships have grown from your work in coffee?

I have very little coffee production; all the pink bourbon goes to Minga. The Castillo variety still goes to the local intermediary because I don’t have enough space to dry it. Beyond clients I have developed friendships with neighbours who are equally dedicated to quality now and we share seeds, experience and go to the lab together sometimes.

What does “relationship coffee” mean to you?

It means learning a lot, with patience and time. And despite having few coffee trees, I am proud that consumers on the other side of the world can enjoy my coffee and want to buy it every year.