{"id":12135,"date":"2024-12-14T00:37:37","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T15:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/?post_type=producers&p=12135"},"modified":"2025-05-12T13:25:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T04:25:12","slug":"cata-export","status":"publish","type":"producers","link":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/narratives\/producers\/cata-export\/","title":{"rendered":"CATA Export"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Colombia has become one of the most closely watched coffee-producing countries in the specialty coffee world. From the oft-talked-about infused and co-fermented coffees to new varieties like Spicy Bourbon and Bourbon Sidra, there\u2019s always something fresh grabbing attention. Love it or hate it, there\u2019s no denying that a growing number of producers are breaking away from traditional methods to explore new possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One name that\u2019s inspiring young producers across Colombia is Nestor Lasso of Finca El Diviso. He\u2019s known for finishing in the top 3 of WBC for the past 3 years thanks to the help of CATA export who first discovered him in 2019 and launched his career by exporting his first coffees, and then helping him win  his first national competition back in 2021 with a natural Pink Bourbon processed over 180 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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photo: CATA’s website<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>
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Catalina Guti\u00e9rrez and Pierre Fargetton, who co-founded CATA Export in 2019 have worked effortlessly for the past 5 years to get Nestor\u2019s name on the map of specialty coffee by placing his coffees in competitions but also by traveling with him to many international coffee events, and today he is a household name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalina and Pierre don\u2019t just work with Nestor; they also support other promising producers, including Oscar Hernandez from Los Nogales whose coffees have been winning national BC and BrC for the past 3 years and Jonathan Gasca, whose coffee was used by the 2024 World Barista vice-champion. On top of that, the couple has been producing coffee themselves since 2024, when they purchased a farm in Huila.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their mission to share Colombia\u2019s finest coffee with the world comes from a frustration with the status quo, where coffee producers often don\u2019t have a voice to advocate for the value of their coffee or their hard work. Passionate about changing this, they launched their business to explore one question: \u201cWhat does real transparency mean?\u201d We interviewed them to find out what drives them to keep pushing forward in search of an answer?<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Highlighting the value of producers\u2019 work<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Words like \u201csustainability\u201d and \u201ctransparency\u201d have long been part of the public lexicon, but too often, they\u2019re thrown around as feel-good buzzwords to gloss over the reality of a situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATA\u2019s blended coffee is a direct challenge to this trend. Their blends typically feature coffee from two to four different producers, with each proportion clearly specified and the reasoning behind the choices transparently explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalina: \u201cWhether it\u2019s a blend or a single origin, what matters is highlighting the value of the work producers do. Sometimes, blending certain lots with others can really bring out their best qualities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Pierre: \u201cWhen we started in 2019,, there was a lack of traceability in the coffee industry. The supply chain is so long and involves so many intermediaries that a lot of important information gets lost. It wasn\u2019t unusual to see mistakes on packaging \u2013 producer names, photos, even descriptions of the beans were often wrong. This just showed how undervalued producers\u2019 work really was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone who used to work as an independent musician, I can relate to what they go through. The music industry is fiercely competitive, with many promoters taking advantage of artists by underpaying them. For example, sending a demo tape to a promoter and getting no response feels a lot like coffee producers sending green bean samples to exporters and receiving no feedback. I think knowing what it\u2019s like to be ignored helped us really connect with producers in a deeper and human way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, genuine relationships mean that two people or companies share a real interest in working together for the better of the industry and trying to truly understand each other. Reflecting that concept in our business is at the core of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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Exploring the world of coffee together<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When CATA started, they had clear criteria for choosing the producers they wanted to work with. They focused on finding people with exceptional talent and great potential who had yet to be widely recognized or appreciated. One of those producers was Nestor, who was just 18 at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATA\u2019s approach is all about working side by side with producers \u2013 helping them improve their processing methods and sharing knowledge \u2013 until they can produce top-quality coffee. This process takes time to show results, so they naturally end up partnering with producers who are truly passionate about exploring coffee\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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photo: CIAT\/NeilPalmer – Dehusked coffee beans at a farm in Cauca, southwestern Colombia.
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Another pillar of CATA\u2019s work involves collaborating with 200 Afro-Colombian producers in the Cauca region. While Colombia\u2019s 52-year civil war officially ended in 2016, some armed groups are still active. This means that the region remains off-limits without permission from paramilitary organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalina: \u201cThe communities they live in are some of the poorest in Colombia. Society still labels them as low-wage manual laborers or even dangerous people. Even if it was just a tiny quantity, I think buying coffee from them and introducing it to the world was really meaningful in raising awareness of these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pierre: \u201cThat said, we\u2019re still a small company with only a few employees and limited resources, so we\u2019ve had to put the project on hold for now. If we can find a partner willing to commit to buying 10 to 20 bags a year, we\u2019d be able to pick it back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is just one example, but we want to act as a hub that provides producers with stability within the market. If they\u2019re constantly worried about money and can\u2019t plan their production cycles, it\u2019s hard for them to think long-term or get creative with their work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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@cataexport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>
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Passion paves the way<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In a sense, CATA began with Catalina\u2019s personal curiosity and passion for coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born and raised in Colombia, Catalina moved to London after high school to attend university. Her life changed forever when she joined a cupping session hosted by a roastery cafe near campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Catalina could only think of the coffees at the session as \u201cjust coffee,\u201d other participants described them with phrases like \u201cpeach and honey notes\u201d or \u201cchocolate and tea-like flavors.\u201d She was fascinated. She wanted to be able to describe coffee like that and to recognize the unique characteristics and subtle differences in flavor. That sense of admiration set her on a journey that hasn\u2019t stopped since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Catalina briefly worked as a graphic designer, her passion for coffee kept pulling her back. She eventually took a full-time barista position at a roastery in London, where she struck up a connection with one of the regular customers. He wore a wristband with the Colombian flag on it \u2013 the same one she had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, she didn\u2019t think he looked Colombian. When they finally talked, she found out he was a French musician with a deep love for Colombia, and his father even lived there. That regular was Pierre.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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When you\u2019re living abroad, just hearing someone mention your home country can light up your heart. Coffee and music might be different passions, but the energy they both shared made their conversations flow naturally, and they quickly became a couple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But by the time Catalina opened a pop-up coffee shop in London, a thought had begun to take shape in her mind \u2013 she would soon have to say goodbye to Pierre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She knew she didn\u2019t want to stay a barista forever. Competing professionally or diving into roasting were options, but what truly felt right was returning to her home country, starting a business, and working closely with coffee producers as an exporter. Finally, she worked up the courage to tell Pierre:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis might be where our relationship stops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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@cataexport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>
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To Catalina\u2019s surprise, Pierre didn\u2019t seem upset. Instead, he said, \u201cThat sounds like a lot of fun.\u201d Thinking back, Pierre reflects on how that moment played out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy first trip to Colombia was in 2007, and since then, I came back regularly to perform concerts. Over time, I made friends, and I always had it in the back of my head that I wanted to live here someday. So it was the perfect opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalina also introduced me to the world of coffee. How can I put this? The specialty coffee industry is just a wonderful universe where you have a lot of freedom. It attracts people from diverse backgrounds. To me, it really felt like a window to something that could create a positive impact on the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

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We\u2019re all equal<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Neither Catalina nor Pierre had any experience in exports or business. All they had was pure passion. If they\u2019d stopped to think rationally, they could have found countless reasons to quit. But nothing held them back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Driving across Colombia, from the north to the south, they met producers who shared their vision. The fact that their business was incomplete meant that there was plenty of room to collaborate. By complementing each other\u2019s weaknesses, they steadily built strong, trusting relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon enough, orders started trickling in from European roasters. They didn\u2019t have all the expertise yet, but the trust their customers placed in them was something they couldn\u2019t take lightly. That sense of responsibility became an anchor that kept them down-to-earth. Catalina shares:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t feel that we\u2019re helping producers, and we certainly don\u2019t believe we\u2019re bringing them something from Europe that they don\u2019t already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world of coffee is like a soccer match. When you\u2019re on the pitch, all of these players are equal. Things like their background, race, or wealth don\u2019t matter. In the same way, as long as there\u2019s a shared passion for coffee, it doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re from Europe, Asia, or the United States because you can connect through the same language of coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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And yet, the coffee industry often leans heavily on marketing strategies and tends to undervalue the work of producers. And many consumers choose their coffee based on brand recognition or reputation. That\u2019s why we feel it\u2019s so important to portray producers as they truly are \u2013 without romanticizing or dramatizing their stories \u2013 just presenting their real work accurately and genuinely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That philosophy has been driving CATA as they\u2019ve created opportunities to bring producers and roasters face-to-face, both in consuming and producing countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalina: \u201cFor us, this business is a way to grow our passion for coffee, improve our lifestyle, and bring peace to our daily lives. It\u2019s also about turning that passion into beautiful coffee and sharing it with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Stronger together<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Catalina and Pierre began dating before they founded CATA. They initially planned to get married in 2022. But with their dedication to work, time slipped away, and their personal lives took a backseat. Recently, they even had their wedding rings stolen, but they\u2019ve promised to finally tie the knot by the end of 2024, just one month away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pierre: \u201cPeople often say couples shouldn\u2019t run a business together, and honestly, if you\u2019re not fully invested, they\u2019re probably right. The struggles can be so overwhelming that you might begin to feel like it\u2019s not worth all the hassle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when you\u2019re both fully dedicated to the same dreams and goals, it\u2019s a great experience. The biggest reward of creating your own business is being able to create an environment that suits you as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catalina: \u201cWe\u2019re surprisingly good at complementing each other. In business, Pierre is great at logical problem-solving and creating strategies to prevent issues, while I\u2019m excelled at coming up with creative ideas and making long-term plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At home, though, we\u2019re completely different. If I\u2019m making pasta, I like to stick to a classic Italian recipe, but Pierre suggests tossing in things like tofu or curry to mix it up. That contrast creates a unique chemistry, and I think it positively influences how we work together in business too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Some singers come alive as solo performers, but there are vocalists who shine brightest as part of a band. Blending personalities doesn\u2019t erase an individual\u2019s beauty \u2013 it enhances it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in coffee, the journey from seed to cup is so long and complex that it\u2019s easy for individuality to get lost along the way. That\u2019s why transparency matters. It keeps the coffee\u2019s value alive as a unique blend of the passion and care poured into it by everyone involved.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12138,"template":"","producers-category":[918],"cut_article_video":[979,983],"producers_area":[989,991],"acf":[],"toolset-meta":{"producers%e7%94%a8field-group":{"producer-kvmode":{"type":"radio","raw":"2"},"image-producer":{"type":"image","raw":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/CATA_2024_article_00_TOP-1.jpg","attachment_id":12137},"producer-name":{"type":"textfield","raw":"Pierre Fargetton \/ Catalina Guti\u00e9rrez"},"producer-farm":{"type":"textfield","raw":"CATA Export"},"producer-copy":{"type":"textfield","raw":"Undervalued No More: In Pursuit of a Genuine Cup"},"producer-oncup":{"type":"textarea","raw":""},"producer-favorite-farm":{"type":"textfield","raw":""},"producer-favorite-beans":{"type":"textfield","raw":""},"producer-image":{"type":"image","raw":"","attachment_id":null}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/producers\/12135"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/producers"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/producers"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/producers\/12135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12964,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/producers\/12135\/revisions\/12964"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"producers-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/producers-category?post=12135"},{"taxonomy":"cut_article_video","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cut_article_video?post=12135"},{"taxonomy":"producers_area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/producers_area?post=12135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}