This Transformative Innovation Learning History (TILH) sought to explore Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) in speciality coffee in Colombia, with a particular geographical focus on the subnational region of Huila department, leader in speciality coffees in the country. The case begins with a discussion of the transition to speciality coffee. We ask to what extent policy has interacted with or generated transformative change, and also what policies (or parts of policies) have been, or have the potential to be, transformative in the case of speciality coffee in Colombia. The case is a multi-actor narrative which draws on a workshop held in Neiva (capital of Huila department) on 13 May 2017 with 36 stakeholders including coffee farmers, farmer association leaders, agronomists, representatives of cooperatives and small private companies, and researchers from a think-tank on regional development and coffee. We also use secondary material and interviews with key actors in the sector including representatives of the National Coffee Federation of Colombia (FNC), policy makers and policy practitioners.
