Located in Guatemala, in the Jutiapa region at the foot of the Suchitan volcano, Coffea Diversa embodies a radically different approach to traditional coffee cultivation. Where the majority of coffee farms globally are mono-varietal, Coffea Diversa has chosen a unique model: that of a coffee botanical garden.
Founded in 2004 by Gonzalo Hernández, with José Padilla, the project was born from a desire to preserve, observe, and enhance the genetic diversity of coffee. Coffea Diversa now cultivates hundreds of rare and exotic botanical varieties, often absent from conventional agricultural channels and, for some, only commercially produced on this site.
Like a traditional botanical garden, Coffea Diversa brings together a multitude of different genetic lines, each expressing distinct morphologies, agronomic behaviors, and sensory potentials. This approach is based on the conviction that coffee genetics constitute a still largely untapped source of aromatic profiles, opening new perspectives for specialty coffee.
Today, Coffea Diversa holds the largest private collection of coffee botanical varieties in the world, with over 800 registered specimens, many of which are still in the observation or selection phase. Approximately 25 rare botanical varieties are currently produced as micro-lots, allowing for the exploration of flavor expressions directly linked to genetics.
The coffees are cultivated in several gardens:
- Biolley, in southern Costa Rica, between 1,250 and 1,380 m of altitude
- Central Valley & Tres Ríos, between 1,500 and 1,700 m, as part of a collaborative project with Producer Francisco González
All the gardens are 100% shade-grown, with species such as cedar, avocado, and banana trees. The climatic conditions, marked by annual rainfall between 3,000 and 5,000 mm, favor a slow and balanced development of the coffees.
Coffea Diversa employs a wide diversity of processing methods, including:
- washed
- honey
- winey
- anaerobic
- carbonic maceration
- yeast fermentations
Drying is carried out on raised beds in the sun, complemented by an injected hot air stationary dryer system, ensuring precision and consistency.
Among the cultivated varieties are notably Rume Sudan, Geisha, Purpurascens, Liberica, Montecristo, Dilla Alghe, Cioccies, and many other rare genetic lines.
More than a Producer, Coffea Diversa asserts itself today as a key player in research, conservation, and sensory exploration, where each coffee is the result of patient work combining genetics, Terroir, and processing.
As they like to summarize it themselves:
Coffea Diversa is not a coffee farm, but a coffee garden.
