Lecture Description:
Infused coffees have been a hot topic in recent years, sparking conversations and articles examining their processing, the ethics of their production and traceability, and whether or not they should be considered part of the specialty market. This panel will be a discussion between producers, exporters, importers, and roasters, exploring infused coffees in order to present a full range of perspectives and to examine if these coffees present an innovative business opportunity for roasters and producers or if they represent a problem for our industry. We will be highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of this style of production for producers, the differences between some of the various kinds of infused processing, first-hand experiences with marketing and selling these coffees to consumers, and potential commercial uses for specialty roasters.
This panel is designed to be an interactive conversation with audience members in order to hear their insights, answer questions, and further understand their perspectives as professionals and consumers.
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2023
Time: 01:00pm - 02:00pm EET
Location: Lecture Room 2
Vicente Mejia
CEO, ClearPath Coffee
Vicente in the founder and CEO of ClearPath Coffee, a Colombian-based specialty coffee exporting company. With deep experience in international trade, logistics, and agribusiness. He has been selling specialty coffee from Colombia all over the world for the past ten years and has been involved in developing and promoting infused coffees for the last three years.
he is passionate about helping small-scale farmers reach the international market and works to bridge cultural and communication gaps that prevent overseas clients from reaching their ideal providers.
He speaks Spanish, English, Portuguese, and holds a Master's in Agribusiness from the University of Buenos Aires.
Rodrigo Sánchez
Producer of Speciality Coffees, Aromas del Sur
Rodrigo is a producer of specialty coffees, born on September 17th 1987 and became the 4th generation in coffee, working for more than 19 years with his family in the production of his crops. Focusing his speciality on co-fermented coffees together with the varieties that have accompanied him in the process. Yara Champion program 2017 allowed him to be champion with one of his great coffees, and today he has managed to respectfully transform each bean, providing experiences and teaching the world the ability to take this significant product to a higher point within the most demanding palates of specialty coffees.
Elkin Ferney Guzmán Vargas
CEO Café y Procesos El Mirador, Aromas Del Sur y Clearpathcoffee
Soy Ingeniero agroindustrial y productor de café especial hace 17 años en Finca EL MIRADOR en Palestina Huila, Colombia, siempre he tenido amor por el campo aún más con el café, por ello siempre imaginaba más allá de lo que podía hacerce en el procesamiento del café. Ha estado muy inquieto al momento de crear protocolos de fermentación y los factores que intervienen.