Auction For Peace: A Historic Moment for Colombian Coffee and Why It Matters

In November 2024, something extraordinary happened in the mountains of Argelia, Cauca. A region long known for conflict, coca cultivation, and limited access to legal markets became the stage for a groundbreaking initiative: The Colombia Auction for Peace (La Subasta por la Paz).

For the first time in Colombia’s history, the government invested real money into promoting specialty coffee as an economic alternative to coca. Flights, accommodation, food, security, and logistics for every invited international buyer were fully funded by the Colombian Government through ASECC (Asociación Colombiana para la Excelencia del Café), a clear signal that Colombia is serious about transforming rural communities through high-value coffee rather than illicit crops.

Zest Specialty Coffee was proud to be part of this historic moment. Our Head of Coffee, Aryan Aqajani, was invited as one of the international green-bean buyers representing Australia. What we witnessed in Argelia was more than an auction, it was a turning point for families who have lived for decades between conflict and survival.

Why This Auction Matters?

Argelia and the surrounding Cauca region sit in one of the most sensitive agricultural belts in Colombia. For many farmers, coca wasn’t a choice, it was the only crop that guaranteed income in a region isolated from trade, support, and safety.

The Auction for Peace created a simple but powerful alternative:

Reward farmers for producing exceptional specialty coffee at prices high enough to permanently replace coca.

Specialty coffee gives farmers:
• predictable income
• safe, legal trade
• long-term stability
• international recognition
• a future they can choose for their children

When you pay a premium for high-quality coffee, you’re not just buying flavour, you are actively reshaping the future of rural Colombia.

During the event, the government and military ensured full safety for participants. Armed escorts accompanied buyers, cuppers, and organisers as we moved through the region, a reminder of both the challenges these communities face and the importance of creating peaceful, sustainable industries.

The Auction Results: A Record For Colombian Coffee

The competition began with 155 submitted lots, narrowed down to 35 finalist coffees after blind cupping by international judges. The top 15 then went to the live auction.

The winning coffee — a stunning geisha lot purchased by our close Colombian partners Forest Coffee sold for USD $125 per pound, a record price for a live auction in Colombian history.

This moment wasn’t just financially significant; it showed farmers that specialty coffee can be more profitable than coca, and that the world is ready to support them.

Zest’s Role: Our Bids and the Lots We Secured

Zest Specialty Coffee participated actively and successfully in the auction. We bid on three lots: Lot 1, Lot 10, and Lot 15.

Below is a deeper look at the coffees — and the farmers behind them.

Lot 1 – Jefferson Andres Bolanos (Bolicar, Cauca)

Total volume: 78kg
Varieties: Geisha
Process: washed
Zest purchase: 2kg (rest purchased by Forest Coffee on behalf of multiple buyers)

Jefferson Andrés Bolaños is a 33-year-old coffee producer and one of the most inspiring figures to emerge from the Auction for Peace. He has been working full-time in coffee since the age of 26, dedicating himself to elevating both the quality of his farm and the reputation of his region.

His farm, La Yunga, sits high in the mountains of Bolívar — a landscape traditionally overshadowed by conflict and coca production, but now gaining global attention thanks to producers like Jefferson. The lot he presented to the auction was a washed Geisha — a variety that needs no introduction in the specialty world, but one that Jefferson approaches with humility, curiosity, and a genuine passion for improvement.

For Jefferson, growing Geisha isn’t about prestige — it’s about progress.

“What I’m passionate about in coffee growing is being able to constantly improve. I had been growing more traditional coffees, but with these new varieties, what I’ve enjoyed most is being able to be at the forefront and doing research.”

Jefferson wasn’t just a participant in the auction — he was one of its strongest advocates. He has become a key voice promoting the Auction for Peace initiative and championing the recognition of coffee produced in Bolívar, a region with enormous but often overlooked potential.

When his lot achieved the highest price ever paid in a Colombian live auction, Jefferson described the moment with the kind of honesty and joy that reminds us why specialty coffee matters so deeply.

“When they announced that I had the most expensive coffee, I couldn’t believe it… It was a great joy for me to know that there were fifteen other people competing to have the best coffee in Cauca. When they called me, I was very excited because for the first time we had achieved something. I’m proud to represent Bolívar, my homeland.”

But perhaps most powerful is the message he shares with the next generation — a message that sits at the very heart of why this auction exists.

“For the new generations, I advise them to start growing coffee. We’re in the best country to do so. It’s time to invest in coffee and change our way of thinking. We shouldn’t live off illicit crops, but rather focus on specialty coffees, because there are people who will pay what we deserve.”

Jefferson’s story reflects exactly what the Auction for Peace was designed to achieve: a pathway for farmers to move away from coca, toward specialty coffee, and toward a future defined by dignity, stability, and opportunity.

We were proud to participate in acquiring Lot 1 as part of a joint international group purchase.

Lot 10 – Davian Bedoya (Argelia, Cauca)

Total volume: 210kg
Variety: Typically Castillo or Colombia variety (common for the region’s washed submissions)
Process: Washed
Producer: From the highlands between Argelia and El Plateado (a zone transitioning away from coca)
Zest purchase: 210kg (full acquisition)

Lot 10 came from a producer working on a farm located in one of the transitional territories where coca eradication programs are actively being replaced with government-supported coffee programs. The coffee showed exceptional structure, clean sweetness, and bright citrus character — a classic Cauca washed profile elevated by high altitude.

Zest participated in bidding for this lot by paying USD $10/Ib for the coffee ( the final price after packaging and shipping is USD $12/Ib)

Lot 15 – Dabery Astudillo (El Tambo, Cauca)

Total volume: 72kg
Variety: Castillo
Process: Traditional washed
Zest purchase: 72kg (full acquisition)

Dabery’s farm is located in El Tambo, just northeast of Argelia. His lot may have been ranked last of the finalists, but in the cupping room it shone with elegance — round sweetness, classic Colombian structure, and brilliant balance.

Winning this entire lot was one of the highlights of the auction for us. This is precisely the kind of coffee we love to showcase at Zest: clean, transparent, honest, and produced under conditions that deserve global recognition and support. We paid USD $16.50/Ib for the coffee ( the final price after packaging and shipping is USD $18.50Ib)

What This Means For The Future?

The Auction for Peace is more than a competition, it’s a blueprint for how specialty coffee can drive real social change.

When farmers receive premium prices, they can:
• invest in their farms
• send their children to school
• reduce dependency on illicit economies
• strengthen their communities
• build long-term stability

For us at Zest, participating wasn’t just about buying great coffee. It was about supporting a movement, one that aligns with everything we stand for: ethical sourcing, producer empowerment, transparency, and telling the real stories behind the coffees we roast.

This auction proved something transformative:

When the world pays attention and pays fairly, coffee becomes a path to peace.

And this is just the beginning.