Colombia is famous for producing and exporting some of the world’s best coffee. Among the Colombian coffee farmers, is also Greek Dimitrios Christopoulos, who first moved to the country because he fell in love with his partner and later he also fell in love with coffee. Here is what Mr. Christopoulos said to SBS Greek.
Dimitrios Christopoulos moved to Colombia for love. His partner, Marlene Colmenares is Colombian. The two met and fell in love when Mrs Colmenares visited Greece for holidays. When she asked him to move to Colombia with her, Mr. Christopoulos said yes.
In Colombia, Mr. Christopoulos took up coffee producing as a hobby.
‘’We liked living in nature so we thought, why not grow something?’’ he said.
Supporting local businesses
The hobby eventually turned into full blown business venture, and now Mr. Christopoulos not only produces he also owns an export firm, which he created in order to help other local producers make higher profits by cutting out the middlemen.
‘’We are a team’’ he explained, and added: ‘’that way we can export our coffee directly and that way we get some extra profit’’. Besides exporting, the Greek coffee producer also trains his local colleagues.
He noted that the company is primarily a way to help the other local producers raise their profits. He and his partner get their main income from other investments outside the coffee growing business.
Growing coffee is hard work. He gets up with the dawn and works up until sunset. When he is not working in the farm, he will go to the lab, where he will examine the flavor of the blend.
Mr Christopoulos also believes he is the world’s only known male Greek coffee producer. ‘’I have searched and there is no other male from Greece in this sector’’ he said.
Life in Colombia
Living in Colombia is different compared to Greece. Mr Christopoulos has been living in Colombia for roughly 7 years and admitted he is still having trouble getting used to the food. What he does enjoy greatly though are the local fruit.
‘’Colombia has an incredibly rich production of fruit. We can eat a different fruit every day for a year’’.
Besides coffee, the producer also has his own cocoa plantation, which he is to export soon in Greece, and plans to expand to organic sugar in the future. He also hopes to bring his products in Australia sometime in the future.
‘’They have asked me to send samples, and it is a place I want to export to,’’ he said.
Listen to the full interview in Greek by pressing the Play button in the central image.
