Sourcing Details:
Want to support women in coffee? Here is one of those rare opportunities where all that is good about coffee intersect. Simply a trifecta of: organic farm management practices; traceable to women producers in the Huehuetenango region; and meticulous post-harvest standards. This community lot comes from 18 women producers in the community of Rio Ocho in the municipality of Santiago Chimaltenango, courtesy of the Federación Comercializadora de Café Especial de Guatemala (FECCEG), an umbrella organization that helps producers with small farms gain access to the international market.
Through their local cooperative, Cooperativa Integral de Ahorro y Crédito Café Responsabilidad Limitada (COPECAFE), this group of women have received training on the best organic practices to manage their farms and diversification projects. The women have put the training in action, making their own organic fertilizer and diversifying their farms with citrus and banana trees.
Processing Details:
Each producer has their own micro-mill to process harvested cherries. First they float the cherry in water to remove less dense and damaged beans. Then they depulp, ferment, wash and dry the coffee to 11 percent moisture.
Exporting Details:
At this stage, FECCEG steps in to support producers with transportation, warehousing and cupping analysis, and later provides the preparation for export. FECCEG has worked hard to ensure coffee traceability so that producers receive more income for improved quality. Increased earnings from coffee sales help strengthen a producer family’s livelihood.
