At Cafés El Magnífico, we found this Sunday pamphlet by Bishop José Ignacio López in a second-hand bookshop on Carrer Canuda in Barcelona. Unfortunately, the shop no longer exists. It is a popular booklet to coffee cultivation for farmers in Garzón and Huila.
It is a document of great historical value, dating back to 1926. In it, the Church encourages farmers to grow coffee at a time when coffee cultivation was non-existent in that area of Colombia.
The document explains the coffee cultivation process in great detail (from seedling to harvest, including the importance of shade). In addition, the initial explanation is particularly striking. This part of the booklet includes a series of questions and answers very similar to the classic frequently asked questions or FAQs that are written today.
In them, the Church reveals a fruit that can alleviate the poverty of farmers. It is the coffee plant and the entire process of growing coffee. With this booklet, it seems that the seed of the tradition of small Colombian coffee growers for coffee excellence was planted.
This popular booklet on coffee cultivation was written under the supervision of Monsignor José Ignacio López Umaña. The clergyman was bishop of Garzón from April 1924 until March 1942, when he was appointed archbishop of Cartagena (Colombia).
Would you like to view all the pages in the booklet? Access the full document via this link
One of the best coffees in the world
At Cafés El Magnífico, we are specialists in specialty coffee. We are passionate about everything related to this beverage, from the seed to the cup. We are also very interested in all literature, grey or otherwise, about coffee.
We consider this popular booklet on coffee cultivation to be a very interesting historical document. It explains the entire process of growing coffee trees, from the type of soil to pruning. Furthermore, it does so with the aim of offering decent employment opportunities to the inhabitants of the department of Huila, in Colombia.
It is clear that the advice and recommendations contained in the booklet had a profound effect on the people of Garzón and Huila. Without a doubt, today it is one of the areas where you can find some of the best coffee in the world.
Take a look and check out all the questions and answers. It’s a delight if you’re passionate about the world of coffee.