How is the Colombia Earthquake Affecting the Coffee Supply Chain? Disruption on the Buenaventura Route

The earthquake that occurred on the morning of August 10, 2026, in western Colombia directly impacted the regions at the heart of the country's coffee sector. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake's magnitude at 7.4, with its epicenter near San José del Palmar and a depth of approximately 110 kilometers. Infrastructure and structural damage has been reported in coffee-producing regions such as Risaralda, Caldas, Quindío, Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, and Chocó.

The human toll of the disaster continues to worsen. In the latest update based on government data reported by Reuters on the evening of August 13, at least 281 people have died, over 3,900 have been injured, and 379 are still missing. While assessing the economic impacts on the coffee sector, it should not be forgotten that the safety of producer families, workers, and local communities is a priority.

The first critical issue in terms of coffee trade arose in transportation and port infrastructure before the production areas themselves. According to information from World Coffee Portal and Reuters, operations at the Buenaventura port on the Pacific coast were temporarily halted while infrastructure checks were conducted. Landslides also affected some roads connecting coffee-producing regions to the port. Germán Bahamón, General Director of the National Federation of Coffee Growers, stated that exports are continuing, particularly from alternative ports on the Caribbean coast.

This detail is important because initial reports suggested a broader picture of “Colombia's coffee exports have stopped.” Gustavo Gómez, an executive from the Colombia Coffee Exporters Association, told Global Coffee Report that coffee operations have largely come to a standstill and there is no timeline yet for when Buenaventura will return to normal operations. In contrast, the National Federation of Coffee Growers reported that exports are continuing through Caribbean ports. Therefore, as of August 14, the most accurate statement is that not all of Colombia's coffee exports have stopped; there is significant disruption on the main Pacific route, and shipments are being redirected to alternative channels.

The issues in Buenaventura are not a minor logistical detail. According to an assessment by the Financial Times based on Expana data, the affected route is linked to approximately 60% of Colombia's coffee exports. Buenaventura has long been one of the country's main coffee exit points. Therefore, a prolonged disruption at the port or connecting roads could lead to the transportation of goods to alternative ports such as Cartagena and Santa Marta, longer overland journeys, and additional logistical costs, even if exports do not completely halt.

The extent of direct damage to coffee farms is still unclear. Daily Coffee News reports that the National Federation of Coffee Growers has begun assessing the damage to producer families, farms, and rural infrastructure on the ground. While the earthquake caused severe damage particularly in coffee regions around Pereira, a comprehensive economic damage assessment regarding production facilities, roads, warehouses, and processing infrastructure has not yet been published. Therefore, at this stage, it is not possible to provide a definitive percentage regarding how much Colombia's 2026 or 2027 harvest will decline due to the earthquake.

The timing of the earthquake is also sensitive for the coffee market. According to information provided by Bahamón, President of the National Federation of Coffee Growers, to the Financial Times before the earthquake, Colombia's 2026 production was expected to reach approximately 12.8 million 60-kilogram bags. This is below the approximately 14.8 million bags from the strong harvest in 2025. Producers were also monitoring the effects of strengthening El Niño conditions on upcoming harvests. Therefore, the earthquake added a new logistical risk to a period already marked by climate and production uncertainties.

Colombia's position in the global coffee market is also a reason why this development is unlikely to remain local. The country is one of the largest coffee producers in the world and is particularly an important source for international roasters in the wash processed arabica category. According to Reuters, hundreds of thousands of Colombian families also rely on the coffee sector for their livelihoods. Therefore, damage to farms, closure of rural roads, or disruptions at export terminals can affect not only coffee prices but also the ability of producers to get coffee to the purchasing point and the delivery commitments of exporters.

For importers and roasters, the initial impact may be more about uncertainty in delivery times than the physical depletion of coffee. When a container is redirected from Buenaventura to another port, the overland transport time, freight organization, port capacity, and delivery date can change. The ability of alternative ports to handle the increased load will also determine how quickly operations return to normal. This conclusion is drawn from the current logistical disruptions; no sector-wide increase in costs has been reported yet.

In our view: The Colombia earthquake shows that the supply risk for coffee businesses should not be evaluated solely based on whether “the bean price will rise.” A specialty coffee roaster may not always be able to abandon a specific farm or region; indeed, the story and character of the product are often tied to that origin. However, the business can create alternatives in terms of logistical routes, stock levels, and delivery schedules. The first reflex of importers and roasters using Colombian coffee in Turkey should be to check their current stock days, orders in transit, departure ports, and contracts for the upcoming months, rather than panic buying. In the longer term, supply risk management requires not only purchasing from multiple countries but also understanding the ports, exporters, and shipping options within the same country. Since the final impact of the earthquake on production is still unknown, it is too early to produce definitive scenarios regarding prices or supply; however, the fragility of the supply chain is already visible.