The whole venture represents a gamble for Colombia's coffee farmers.

ECONOMIST: A new venture for a Latin American brand

The problems in Colombia come as global coffee supplies already are strained.

WSJ: Trouble Brews in Colombia

The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, or Fedecafe, isn't giving a firm forecast for next year's crop, saying estimates are hard to make given the large amount of rain that came down this winter.

WSJ: Trouble Brews in Colombia

That said, Northern Ireland, with its dependence on subsidies, would envy the oil, coal, emeralds, gold and coffee that have put Colombia at the forefront of South America's recent economic surge.

BBC: Can Northern Ireland act as a template for Colombia?

The case for more expensive coffee is growing stronger every week: Colombia had a smaller-than-normal harvest last year, and dry conditions in Brazil this year have pinched supply even tighter.

FORBES: Coffee Caught Up In Perfect Political Storm, Shoots To 13-Year High

Mineralco believes that the exchange could make emeralds Colombia's third-biggest export, after oil and coffee.

ECONOMIST: Colombia

The fungus has ruined what was supposed to be a good year for Colombia, the world's second-largest producer of high-quality arabica coffee, the mild-flavored, hand-picked beans for which coffee traders usually pay a premium.

WSJ: Trouble Brews in Colombia

Colombia's export-crazy flower growers, who today draw more notice than its once-dominant coffee growers, have benefited from President Uribe's security measures.

FORBES: International