A state of emergency has been declared in Colombia after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit the country on Monday 10 August. It is the most powerful earthquake to strike the South American nation this century. At the time of writing, more than 169 people have been killed.

President Aberlardo de la Espriella, sworn in just three days before the quake, said the first priority is rescuing people trapped under the rubble.\n\nCoffee-growing regions including Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, and Antioquia have been impacted. Germán Bahamón, General Manager of the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC), says the main focus must be to save lives. The FNC stated, “the earth shook, but the coffee community’s heart does not break.”\n\nCoffee exports have all but ground to a halt due to damage to key highways and the main port, Buenaventura. Gustavo Gomez, Executive President of Colombia’s Coffee Exporters Association (Asoexport), says there is no timeline for reopening. Processing facilities are assessing damage, with operations affected by electricity outages and worker impact.

Colombia is the world’s third-largest coffee producer, exporting about 13 million 60-kilogram bags per year.