Colombia Earthquake Hits Critical Point of Coffee Supply Chain

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that occurred on August 10 in western Colombia affected the country's coffee sector more through logistics than from the farms. Landslides and road closures on routes connecting coffee production areas to Buenaventura on the Pacific coast severely disrupted the flow of exports.

Initial reports indicated that a large portion of coffee exports had come to a halt. However, the situation began to change within a few days, and coffee shipments via Buenaventura partially resumed. Therefore, it is more accurate to describe the current situation as one of the main export corridors being severely disrupted due to the earthquake, with gradual recovery beginning, rather than stating that "Colombia's coffee exports have stopped".

The humanitarian aspect of the disaster is much heavier. According to a Reuters report dated August 18, the initial economic damage estimate reached approximately 30 trillion Colombian pesos, or 9.6 billion dollars. Hundreds of people lost their lives, thousands were injured, and extensive damage occurred to infrastructure. It is noted that these figures are provisional and may change as damage assessments progress.

The Bottleneck for Coffee is Not the Farms, but Logistics

When a natural disaster is mentioned in the coffee sector, the first question is usually whether the product has been damaged. However, the recent earthquake in Colombia demonstrated another vulnerability: even if coffee continues to grow, the inability to get the product to the port can disrupt the global supply chain.

The epicenter of the earthquake was near San José del Palmar in the Chocó region. The tremor caused severe damage across a wide area extending from Buenaventura to Cali and Pereira, the high-altitude regions where coffee is grown in the country.

The reason this issue has become critical for coffee trade is Buenaventura.

Historical port data from the Colombian National Federation of Coffee Growers shows how significant a share Buenaventura has in the country's coffee exports. For example, in August 2024, 63.6% of the coffee exported left from this port; in the first eight months of the year, the share was 63.9%.

Thus, even a disruption in the road system leading to the port can have international repercussions for coffee trade.

Landslides Complicated Access to the Port

The landslides and road closures that occurred after the earthquake blocked heavy vehicles from accessing Buenaventura. The first major disruption in coffee exports also stemmed from this.

This situation has brought the Buga-Buenaventura corridor, which was strategically important even before the disaster, back into focus.

The Colombian National Infrastructure Agency announced that just a week before the earthquake, a 47.98-kilometer road rehabilitated as part of the Buga-Buenaventura 5G project was put into service. This project constitutes the final section of the main freight corridor between Bogotá and Buenaventura.

In other words, the earthquake affected not only a port but also a critical logistics line that enables production from the country's interior regions to reach global markets via the Pacific.

Exports Partially Resumed

After the initial shock, signs of recovery in coffee shipments began to emerge.

Global Coffee Report reported that Buenaventura has partially restarted coffee exports. Market sources also noted a decline in coffee futures prices following the resumption of exports.

However, "the port has reopened" does not mean "the supply chain has returned to normal".

For coffee to be transported to the port, roads must be safe, truck movements must continue, warehouses must operate, containers must be available, and port operations must be conducted regularly. As long as aftershocks and infrastructure damage persist, new delays may occur at any link in this chain.

Therefore, for importers, it is becoming increasingly important to monitor not only the ship's departure date but also the status of coffee entering the port.

The Importance of Buenaventura is Not a New Risk

The earthquake has actually made visible an infrastructure risk that Colombia has long been aware of.

In the risk assessment of ports by the Colombian National Infrastructure Agency, Buenaventura is listed among areas with high seismic threat. The report also identifies landslides and mass movements as risks faced by the region.

This situation contains an important lesson for the coffee supply chain. The risk is not just about the weather conditions on the farms where coffee is grown.

For a green coffee to reach the roaster, a long chain involving the farm, processing facility, warehouse, land transportation, port, container, and maritime transport must operate.

If this chain is concentrated at a single critical point, it can increase supply risk even if production is strong.

It Doesn't Immediately Mean "Coffee Shortage" for Roasters

One of the outcomes to be avoided in the sector after the earthquake is interpreting the short-term logistics disruption as a direct global coffee shortage.

Colombia is a significant producer and exporter of Arabica. However, current information does not indicate that the country's coffee production has ceased. The initial impact is largely concentrated on logistics and export infrastructure.

This distinction is important for roasters.

Port and road disruptions can change shipment dates, extend transit times, and increase delivery risks in some contracts. However, how much this will reflect on retail coffee prices will depend on the duration of the disruption, stock levels, alternative port usage, freight conditions, and other developments in the global coffee market.

Therefore, it is still early to draw long-term price conclusions from a few days of market movement.

What Should Coffee Businesses in Turkey Monitor?

For specialty coffee roasters in Turkey using Colombian coffee, the first step should not be panic buying but increasing supply visibility.

It should be learned where the coffee is physically located from the importer. Is the product still in the warehouse in the country of origin, has it reached the port, has it been loaded into a container, has the ship reservation been confirmed?

For businesses that use a specific Colombian lot in a constant espresso recipe or as a single-origin product, the risk of delay may be more significant. Replacing the same coffee in a short time is not just a purchasing issue; it can also create operational changes in terms of roasting profile, recipe, grind setting, and sensory profile presented to the customer.

Therefore, in the supply plan, it is more meaningful to track not only the quantity of stock but also how many weeks of operation it covers.

Creating an alternative product plan does not always mean changing the origin. Different exporters, different shipping schedules, or stocks that have previously left the country can also be options.

Disasters are Changing Coffee Purchasing Strategies

The supply risk in the coffee sector is becoming increasingly multilayered.

While production areas face drought, excessive rainfall, temperature changes, and diseases; on the export side, port capacity, container availability, geopolitical developments, and infrastructure issues create separate risks.

The Colombia earthquake added seismic and road infrastructure risk to this picture.

For roasters relying on a single origin or a limited number of producers, supply diversification is becoming more than just a price negotiation tool. It is turning into a part of operational continuity.

Stafflink's View

The first conclusion to be drawn for the coffee sector from the earthquake in Colombia should not be a price increase. The priority is the humanitarian situation faced by those who lost their lives, were injured, and the communities living in the production areas.

From an operational perspective, the incident highlights an important weak point: production and logistics risks in the coffee supply chain should be managed separately.

A roaster may work with numerous farms; however, if all coffees are going to the same port via the same road corridor, the supply is not as diversified as it is thought to be.

In our opinion, roasters need to add the question "from which country are we buying coffee?" to their purchasing plans alongside the question "from which port, via which routes, and with which alternatives is this coffee coming?".

The recent developments in Colombia clearly illustrate this: coffee may be ready at the farm, but the entire system in between must operate for it to reach the cup.