Global Coffee Supply at Risk as Earthquake in Colombia Disrupts Exports

Colombia has been struck by a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that has caused dozens of deaths, significant damage and left hundreds of people missing.

In addition to the tragic human toll and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the effects of the tremors are expected to be felt beyond the country’s borders. Colombia’s coffee industry has suffered a severe blow, while exports and supply chains have been disrupted by the closure of key trade routes.

The earthquake’s epicenter was recorded in San José del Palmar, in the Chocó region, affecting the heart of the area known as the “Eje Cafetero,” or Coffee Axis. Most of the country’s coffee-processing facilities are also located in this region, further exacerbating the emergency.

The biggest problem is the blockage of the road to Buenaventura, the strategic seaport through which almost all of Colombia’s “green gold” is exported. “Currently, the road to Buenaventura is not passable for foreign commercial vehicles, including those used for exports and imports,” said Gustavo Gómez, president of the National Association of Coffee Exporters.

Transporting coffee to other major ports, including Puerto Antioquia, Cartagena and Santa Marta, is also proving difficult, even in areas that suffered less damage. This is because freight vehicles are unable to enter these territories.

Colombia ranks as the world’s third-largest coffee exporter and is the leading global supplier of high-quality arabica beans.