Tolima, in past years, has not been a typically well-known coffee-producing region in Colombia. It has historically been difficult to traverse and was once heavily infiltrated by the Colombian leftist army, the FARC. Their presence contributed to the region’s isolation and gave the area a reputation for being unsafe and violent. Since roughly 2012, as the Colombian government maintains peace talks with the rebels, it has been safe enough to travel to the region.
Not only that, but coca production was a prominent source of income for the locals, making coffee production in Tolima more obscure and less known. Yet, this has shifted, with more coffee being grown today than coca, providing a safer, more reliable source of income for producers.
