Guatemala El Guaya’B FAIR TRADE, ORGANIC, BIRD FRIENDLY

Description

We are proud to offer our customers the El Guaya’B.

ROAST TO ORDER: Orders placed MON-FRI will ship out the following Monday (please allow 3-5 days for roasting after an order is placed).

Cup Score: 85.5

REGION: Huehuetenango
ALTITUDE: 1400-1800m
PRODUCER: Guaya’b Asociación Civil (GUAYA’B)
VARIETY: Bourbon, Catimor, Caturra, and Sarchimor
PROCESSING:Fully Washed, Patio Drying
HARVEST TIME: December – March

Flavor: Honey, Peach, Red Apple
Body: High
Acidity: Above Average

There are plenty of obstacles to cultivating and exporting coffee from the department of Huehuetenango. The terrain is rugged, and the weather is extreme. But coffee grows well here, and 634 families with farms that average just a few acres in size work together through a cooperative called Guaya’b Asociación Civil (GUAYA’B) to overcome the obstacles. The farms have been certified organic and Bird-Friendly by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. GUAYA’B provides members with access to micro-financing to ensure year-round farm maintenance and periodic renovations. GUAYA’B also provides technical assistance, which includes soil analysis and training on organic fertilizer production. During the harvest, GUAYA’B has established a childcare service so parents have a safe place for their children to learn while they pick coffee. Each producer delivers cherry from their individual farms to a centralized wet-mill equipped with environmental controls to return water to the environment free of contamination. At the mill, the cherry is depulped and fermented for 36 to 48 hours, then washed and classified by density in channels of water and dried to 11 percent moisture on patios in the sun. The result is a traceable community lot with a vibrant regional profile ensuring greater producer earnings.

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.