Who is Jairo Arcila?

Jairo Arcila is a third-generation coffee grower from Quindío, Colombia, whose career in coffee spans more than four decades. He began his journey working as Mill Manager at Racafé, Colombia’s second-largest exporter, a role he held for over 40 years until his retirement in 2019. During that time, Jairo purchased his first farm, Finca La Esmeralda, in 1987 and gradually expanded to own six farms, including Villarazo, Mazatlán, Santa Mónica, Maracay, and Buenos Aires. Together with his wife, Luz Helena Salazar, and their two sons, Carlos and Felipe—co-founders of Cofinet—Jairo has shaped his legacy as both a farmer and a steward of Colombia’s specialty coffee movement.

After coffee prices fell in the mid-2000s, Jairo diversified his farms by planting avocados, bananas, plantains, and citrus. But with the rise of specialty coffee, he returned with renewed focus, planting exotic varieties like Gesha, Pink Bourbon, Java, and Tabi across his farms. He has also emphasized ecological sustainability by introducing native shade trees, improving soil quality, and creating microclimates ideal for delicate varieties at lower elevations. His farms now provide steady employment for up to 50 people during harvest, offering vital opportunities for the surrounding community.

Today, Jairo continues to innovate alongside his sons at Cofinet, experimenting with alternative processing methods that bring out distinctive flavors from his coffees. His lots often feature unique fermentation and drying techniques, such as incorporating mandarin peels during raised-bed drying to produce vibrant, fruit-forward profiles. The result is a portfolio of coffees celebrated worldwide for their clarity, sweetness, and complexity—each carrying the mark of Jairo’s dedication, experience, and pioneering spirit.