- link Copy Url - [ Share on twitter ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text="All of us Coffee Growers Should be Participating in the Nespresso AAA Program," Says Colombian Coffee Farmer https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/56469?absolute=1&via=3blnews "link to 3 B L Media's Twitter") - [ Share on linkedin ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/56469?absolute=1 "link to 3 B L Media's Linkedin") - [ Share on facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/56469?absolute=1 "link to 3 B L Media's Facebook") - [ email Share via email ](mailto:?subject="All of us Coffee Growers Should be Participating in the Nespresso AAA Program," Says Colombian Coffee Farmer&body=ESG News from Nestlé Nespresso https://www.3blmedia.com/markdownify/node/56469?absolute=1 "Share via email") [Responsible Production & Consumption](/CSR-News/responsible-production-consumption-0) # "All of us Coffee Growers Should be Participating in the Nespresso AAA Program," Says Colombian Coffee Farmer ##### Meet Duberney Arias Arguelo, a Colombian coffee farmer who has been part of the Nespresso AAA Program since 2006 Jun 24, 2015 11:00 AM ET ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_2x/s3/images/Nespresso_AAA_farmer_-_Duberney_Arias_Agudelo_2.jpg) ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_2x/s3/images/Nespresso_AAA_farmer_-_Duberney_Arias_Agudelo.jpg) ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/s3/images/Nespresso_AAA_farmer_-_Duberney_Arias_Agudelo_2.jpg?h=0d27ee61) ![](https://3blaws.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/carousel_thumbnail_x2/s3/images/Nespresso_AAA_farmer_-_Duberney_Arias_Agudelo.jpg?h=8897f531) **Finding a long-term partner in sustainable quality** Duberney Arias Agudelo’s Corea farm is nestled along the slopes of the Andes in Caldas, one of the three departments in the famous Colombian coffee belt, which produces some of the finest coffee in the world. When Duberney heard about the [*Nespresso* AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program](http://www.nestle-nespresso.com/newsandfeatures/aaa%20sustainable%20quality%20program%20delivers%20tangible%20benefits) from his local coffee cooperative in Pacora in the Colombian Department of Caldas, his interest was immediately awakened. His family had acquired the 15-hectare farm at the end of the 1990s, and Duberney was in charge of the farm’s day-to-day management and upkeep. “It was quite simple: we were interested in it and *Nespresso* came to visit us and we started to work with the AAA Program right away,” said Duberney. “The first recommendations made by the *Nespresso* agronomist helped us with the management of our farm. We had been very disorganised. We didn’t keep accounts and rarely planned anything. Now we have a plan for what we will do throughout the entire year, and we are more conscious of the finances: we know how much it costs to produce a load of coffee.” Duberney also changed how the coffees he cultivates are handled. “Before, after harvesting the coffee, we would leave it in the washers for 3 to 4 days. Now we wash it every day. And then the coffee must be dried immediately. It is much more efficient to do it like this if you want to achieve the best possible quality. We did not pay much attention to this before,” he explained. “Once we began implementing the changes that the *Nespresso* agronomist recommended to us, we saw immediate returns on our efforts, in terms of quality as well as income. This is what convinced us to remain in the AAA Program,” he continued. One of the hardest habits to break, said Duberney, had to do with personal safety. “We didn’t see the need for protection when we were handling pesticides. We also used to let anyone who asked work on the farm during the harvest. But today, we are much more careful about this and we only hire adults. Through the *Nespresso* AAA Program, we have changed our mentality. Now we know that you have to look after yourself and the people who work on the farm.” Over the years, the relationship between Duberney and the *Nespresso* agronomist with whom he works has become a friendship. Although Corea farm has achieved Rainforest Alliance certification, Duberney acknowledges that the work does not end there. “I have an excellent relationship with our agronomist. His role is very important. In managing the farm, there are always things one can overlook or forget. The agronomist will come in and point out where we can do things better. His advice is very useful to us.” The benefits to be gained from participating in the AAA Program can clearly be felt, says Duberney. “Compared to how we used to be, so much has improved, from the way we manage our farm to how we process our coffee, and the prices we receive for it have really helped us a great deal. Ideally, all of us coffee growers should be participating in the *Nespresso* AAA Program.” [![](/sites/default/files/Clients/Screen_Shot_2015-01-09_at_1.00.39_PM.png)](/profiles/nestle-nespresso) ### More from Nestlé Nespresso ###### [Nespresso Announces Investment in Post-Conflict Colombian Coffee](/news/nespresso-announces-investment-post-conflict-colombian-coffee) Nov 28, 2017 3:00 PM ET ###### [The Sustainable Coffee Challenge Partners With Coffee Industry Innovator Nespresso](/news/sustainable-coffee-challenge-partners-coffee-industry-innovator-nespresso) Sep 29, 2017 10:00 AM ET ###### [Nespresso to Showcase Key Partnership With the Rainforest Alliance on Coffee Sleeves](/news/nespresso-showcase-key-partnership-rainforest-alliance-coffee-sleeves) Sep 29, 2017 2:00 AM ET ###### [Nespresso Goes Big on Sustainability Credentials in Global Campaign: PR Week](/news/nespresso-goes-big-sustainability-credentials-global-campaign-pr-week) Sep 26, 2017 3:25 PM ET ###### [Meet Humberto, Luis Miguel and Esteban: Some of the Real Farmers Behind Nespresso’s Extraordinary Coffees](/news/meet-humberto-luis-miguel-and-esteban-some-real-farmers-behind-nespressos-extraordinary) Sep 12, 2017 4:00 AM ET ###### [George Clooney Talks Sustainability at Nespresso](/news/george-clooney-talks-sustainability-nespresso) Sep 11, 2017 6:00 PM ET ###### [Manos al Agua is Finalist in 2017 Digital Transformation with Social Impact Awards](/news/manos-al-agua-finalist-2017-digital-transformation-social-impact-awards) Aug 30, 2017 1:10 PM ET ###### [Nespresso Proves That Single Serve Coffee Makers Can Be Environmentally Friendly](/news/nespresso-proves-single-serve-coffee-makers-can-be-environmentally-friendly) Aug 17, 2017 11:05 PM ET