GUATEMALA HUEHUETENANGO MAM SHB EP

Grower

Coffee producers from San Pedro Necta, Santiago Chimaltenango, Todos Santos Cuchumatan, Union Cantinil, La Libertad, and La Democracia

Altitude

1500-1900 masl

Variety

Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Catuai

Soil

Clay minerals

Region

San Pedro Necta, Santiago Chimaltenango, Todos Santos Cuchumatan, Union Cantinil, La Libertad, and La Democracia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

Process

Fully washed and dried in the sun

Harvest

October - February

Certification

Conventional

BACKGROUND

Sourcing Details

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 indigenous  families with farms that average just a few acres in size have partnered with an export company called UNEX to overcome the obstacles.

Processing Details

Each family uses their own micro-mill to process their harvest, which allows for meticulous care in cherry selection, depulping, fermenting, and drying the coffee. UNEX has a centralized warehouse to store dried parchment until it is time to move the coffee across the country along rough roads to Guatemala City where the coffee is prepared for export.

Exporter Details

Through UNEX, producers have gained access to technical assistance for managing their farms with the best organic practices.  Using materials like coffee pulp to make organic fertilizers has helped reduce the transportation costs associated with purchasing fertilizer from afar, and at the same time, creates an abundant source of fertilizer that ensures better yields and quality.  UNEX has also established funds for mobile clinics that can provide healthcare in the most remote indigenous communities.