Oropéndola is the flagship coffee of Red Ecolsierra, a cooperative based in the department of Magdalena, North Colombia, that represents 352 families. The coop's headquarters are located in the city of Santa Marta, at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, one of the highest coastal mountain chains in the world, which rises to peaks as high as 5.700 m above sea level.
The proximity to the coast creates the perfect space for hundreds of wild species to thrive in Sierra Nevada's coffee belt, which ranges from 900 m to 1.900 m above sea level. The forests which cover the higher slopes of the mountains are a natural for incredibly rich biodiversity. As Georgi Djalev wrote for
Roast Magazine in the September-October 2019 edition: "The climate in this region is also special. The dry season is long, while the rainy season is short and intense. This allows only one harvest per year and requires the coffee to grow in the shade of other plants, which in turn prevents the soil from erosion and protects the watersheds, securing water for the cities below. It is also a habitat for endangered species. This closes a virtuous cycle that benefits both the coffee grower community and the environment. The exceptional environment produces characteristically flavoured, high-quality coffee that requires sustainable production practices to grow, which in turn benefits the unique nature of the place."
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