Wuchii
WUCHII: where coffee, give wings to freedom
Wuchii means “the winged one.” It is a word from the Wayuu language, chosen to evoke flight and the rich biodiversity of Colombia’s coffee-growing landscapes. And flight is more than just a symbol. In the landscapes where coffee grows, birds are among the true guardians of biodiversity: they protect plants from pests, help forests regenerate, and contribute to maintaining the balance of nature. But in the ancestral cosmology of this land, Wuchii is also a totemic figure, a sacred symbol of absolute freedom. This image embodies the spirit of the project we want to share with you today: creating the conditions for communities, and particularly the women within them, to achieve independence. Because before wings can spread and take flight, they need the space to do so.
Many stories, one coffee
Our WUCHII is the result of the work of around 85 small-scale coffee producers in Cauca, Colombia, who belong to Caficauca, a cooperative established in 1961. Today, it has approximately 3,000 members, each farming plots of land averaging just 1.6 hectares.
This coffee tells the story of a network of small farming communities. Each harvest brings together a community of producers whose collective work contributes to a consistent sensory profile, shaped year after year.
The Caturra, Castillo and Colombia varieties undergo a fully washed process, beginning with 16–19 hours of fermentation in tanks. The coffee is then dried in solar drying tunnels for approximately ten days, until it reaches the desired moisture content.
In the cup, Wuchii reveals comforting, sweet notes of biscuit, almond and honey. We selected and roasted it specifically for espresso.
Beyond the cup: the Gender & Inclusion project
There is more to this story than what we taste in the cup. Through Wuchii, we are supporting Gender & Inclusion, a project led by Fundación Apuna that empowers ten Colombian women coffee growers to strengthen their economic independence.
In rural communities, work does not always translate into equal access to opportunities. Women play an active role in agricultural production while also carrying much of the responsibility for household and care work. Yet they often have limited access to land, financial resources and decision-making processes.
These are just some of the tangible barriers that emerged from listening closely to the women involved. This is where Gender & Inclusion begins: not with an abstract idea of empowerment, but with a close understanding of real needs.
The project combines training, mentorship and technical assistance, focusing on leadership, economic independence, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.
Crucially, participants also gain access to seed funding to establish or strengthen businesses of their own. This helps turn the skills they develop into tangible opportunities to generate an income.
Over time, the aim is to create the conditions for women to strengthen their independence, decision-making power and role within both the coffee supply chain and their communities.
Our commitment in practice
For every kilogram of Wuchii sold, our roastery contributes €0.50 to the Gender & Inclusion project.
We believe meaningful change begins with listening to real needs and responding with practical tools and targeted action where they can make the greatest difference. This is what it means to act consistently with our values. It is how we choose to play our part in the coffee supply chain.
A coffee can be many things at once: a daily ritual, a moment of respite from the noise of the world, a place, the work of dozens of producers, the pursuit of quality through science.
And sometimes, it can also open the door to a new opportunity.
Ultimately, that is what Wuchii is about: many hands coming together to create something meaningful, and an ancient, ancestral image of flight taking on a new meaning, a fairer future.
Info
- Country of Origin: Colombia
- Area: Piendamó, Cajibío, Morales
- Botanical Variety: Caturra, Castillo, Colombia
- Altitude: 1.900 m asl
- Harvest: April – June ; September – December
- Process: Fully washed
- Drying: Solar tunnels