Caldas is located in an area known as the Eje Cafetero, or coffee-growers axis/triangle. Made up of the four departments of Quindío, Risaralda, Tolima and of course Caldas. This region is historically known as the center of coffee production in Colombia, and used to be the biggest producer of coffee by volume, although today that title belongs to the department of Huila. Caldas has a population of almost one million people, half of whom live in the capital city of Manizales. According to the FNC, there are currently 63,051 hectares of coffee planted in this state, and 95% of producers have less than five hectares to cultivate on. Home to approximately 13,000 specialty coffee growers, and around 41,000 small farms.

The decaffeination process utilized by Descafecol is a natural solvent-based process. The decaffeination agent used is called ethyl acetate (also known as ethyl alcohol) and is derived from a mix of acetic acid (vinegar) and a natural extract distilled from sugar cane. First the beans are steamed to open their pores and are then rinsed in ethyl acetate repeatedly to remove the caffeine. Next the beans are dried but not completely, 10-12% humidity remains.