BOGOTA – A new milestone of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation’s (FNC) innovation, added value and sustainability strategy, was made public today with the launch of the new Juan Valdez® Café athletic t-shirt line made from 100% Colombian coffee residue and recycled polyester residue.
The properties of coffee residue make the t-shirts particularly appealing: high odor absorption, UV protection and quick drying. The t-shirts are now available in four references, white and black for both men and women, in 25 Juan Valdez® Cafés in 8 Colombian cities.
According to Constanza Mejia, Director of Buencafé Freeze Dried Colombian Coffee, “this development was possible because of the FNC’s institutional legitimacy. The FNC channeled the efforts and enthusiasm of domestic and international companies into using coffee by-products to transfer higher value to producers.”
The Juan Valdez® Café t-shirts have a unique origin: the textile fiber is made out of the residue of soluble coffee produced in Buencafé’s facilities using a technology developed in Asia; the fabric is manufactured by Lafayette® (producer of polyester thread and fabric), the design was developed by Procafecol as licensee of the Juan Valdez® brand , and the final manufacturing was made by Supertex® (specialist in high performance products).
The fact that Colombia is the world’s leading producer of mild washed coffee guarantees unrivaled access to the t-shirts’ raw material. Similarly, the country’s prosperous textile industry, strategic geographic location, and free trade agreements are all factors that provide great advantages to the initiative.
This new line of business, based on manufacturing high-performance clothing with improved properties, broadens the product portfolio of Juan Valdez® Café. It paves the way to a new coffee textile cluster that will contribute to the elevated positioning of Colombia and its coffee in the world.
