The Feria de Especialidad con Café returns to Garzón continuing its role as an education-driven platform for developing specialty coffee knowledge in Colombia.
Built in collaboration with Coocentral, the event brings together producers, students, and young professionals to explore how quality is built, step by step, across the entire coffee value chain. The fair is designed as a hands-on learning experience, combining theory with practical application. Over five days, participants rotate through small-group sessions led by experienced coffee professionals. Each module focuses on a key discipline within specialty coffee, giving attendees both context and real, applicable skills. The goal is simple: build understanding, raise quality, and create real career pathways within coffee.
Location & Dates
Location: Garzón, Huila, Colombia
Dates: April 21 - 25, 2026
The Feria de Especialidad con Café Focus Areas
Participants take part in structured sessions across six core topics.
Post-harvest processing
Fermentation, drying, and how processing choices shape cup profile
Financial health
Understanding cost structures, profitability, and decision-making at farm level
Physical analysis
Green grading, defect identification, and quality control
Roasting skills
Translating green coffee into a consistent, intentional roast profile
Barista skills
Extraction, workflow, and communicating quality in the cup
Sensory skills
Cupping, calibration, and building a shared language for quality
How It Works
The structure is intentionally small-scale and intensive. This format allows for direct feedback, close interaction, and a deeper understanding of each discipline.
- Groups limited to 6 participants per session
- One instructor + one assistant per station
- Combination of theoretical input and practical exercises
- Participants complete evaluations to reinforce learning
Why this event matters for Colombias Coffee Industry
Huila is one of Colombia’s most important coffee regions, but access to structured specialty education is still limited, especially for younger generations. For Coocentral, it’s also a way to invest directly in the people behind the coffee, building long-term capacity, not just volume.
This initiative focuses on increasing the consumption of high-quality, locally produced coffee while expanding access to practical knowledge at origin. It also aims to identify and develop talent for key roles within the industry, such as baristas, lab assistants, and roasters, while strengthening the connection between coffee production and market expectations.
Nordic Approach at the Event
Enki Suarez from Nordic Approach will be present throughout the event, contributing to sessions and supporting the educational program on-site. Due to the nature of the program and limited connectivity, scheduled meeting availability will be limited during these days. The focus remains fully on the training activities.
