Guatemala Huehuetenango FTO SMBC - Guaya'b Cooperative

Green apple, grape, lemon bar, caramel
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Bag Weight 69 KG BAG
Harvest Season 2023/24
Status Spot
Lot Number P612415-1
  • 25 Bag(s)
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About This Coffee

Asociación Civil Guaya'b is a coffee cooperative located in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. The cooperative currently consists of 330 members, 316 of whom are indigenous. Formally established in 1998, Guaya'b began selling to the Fair Trade market in 2000. The sales made by Guaya'b have brought stability to the cooperative and have enabled members to meet their basic needs. With the Fair Trade price, Guaya'b farmers have increased their own earnings and reinvested a portion of their profits into the community. As a result, the region’s economy is more stable and the rate of migration has decreased. Guaya'b cooperative members voted to finance medical insurance for members and their families with Fair Trade premiums. The cooperative offers women’s programs focusing on female nutrition, and work and business training.

Country of Origin Guatemala
Region Huehuetenango
Producer Type Cooperative
Farm Name Various producers
Co-Op Asociación Civil Guaya'b
Processing Washed
Processing Description Sun-dried on patios
Growing Altitude 1450m - 1600m
Harvest Season 2023/24
Bag Weight 69 KG BAG
Bag Type Grain Pro / Ecotact
Plant Species Arabica
Variety Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Typica
Certifications Organic Certified NOP, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Certification, FLO Fairtrade Certified

History of Coffee in Guatemala

Although coffee was brought over from the Caribbean in the mid-18th century by Jesuit priests, it was used primarily as an ornamental plant and garden crop for 100 years in Guatemala. Coffee wasn’t widely traded, however, until commercial production began in the 1850s. The volcanic soil and various micro-climates proved ideal for growing coffee in Guatemala. Coffee, within a generation, became the country’s most important crop. In 1860, Guatemala exported 140,000 pounds of coffee, and just 25 years later, the country was exporting over 40 million pounds. Large numbers of coffee farmers were German immigrants responsible for many inventions and innovations related to coffee milling. Most of Guatemala’s coffee was exported to Germany until the First World War, when exports shifted to the United States.

Growing Coffee in Guatemala

Coffee farming practices are similar to other countries in the region, but Guatemala has an abundance of water, volcanic soil, and very distinct micro-climates compared to its neighbors. Although late to coffee, Guatemala recognized and responded to the needs of the emerging specialty coffee sector earlier than most coffee-producing regions. Anacafé, the coffee producers association in Guatemala, identifies seven growing regions: Fraijanes, the plateau south of Guatemala City; Coban, a rainforest region in the center of the country; Huehuetenango, highlands near the border with Mexico; Atitlan, primarily the volcanic mountains on the Pacific side of Lake Atitlan; San Marcos, between Huehuetenango and the Pacific Ocean; Oriente, the driest of the growing regions located near the eastern border with Honduras; and the most famous of all, Antigua, nestled among the volcanoes an hour’s drive southwest of Guatemala City.

  • Region Huehuetenango
  • Farm Name Various producers
  • Producer Type Cooperative
  • Processing Washed
  • Processing Description Sun-dried on patios
  • Bag Type Grain Pro / Ecotact
  • Plant Species Arabica
  • Variety Bourbon, Catuai, Caturra, Typica
  • Min Growing Altitude 1450m
  • Max Growing Altitude 1600m
  • Co-Op Asociación Civil Guaya'b
  • On Sale No
  • Top Lot No
  • Status Spot
  • Certifications Organic Certified NOP, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Certification, FLO Fairtrade Certified
  • Coffee Grade GTM CA WA SHB
  • CTRM Contract Number P612415-1
  • Country of Origin Guatemala
  • Warehouse The Annex CA