GUATEMALA LA MORENA CUBULCO FSHB 2023
In 2016, the La Morena program was created to give female coffee growers access to the global supply chain and to address gender inequality in coffee farming. The program started off small with four IWCA members importing 32 boxes of green coffee beans. It was a micro-lot by all accounts, but roasters were receptive, and the small lot quickly stocked out. The growers enjoyed success from that introduction to the market and their coffees became highly sought after. Fast forward to 2023: the specialty coffee sourcing team in Guatemala worked with over 800 women farmers spanning the coffee-growing regions of Huehuetenango and Baja Verapaz. What started as a micro-lot of about 2,000 lbs of coffee has blossomed into a platform that strongly addresses gender inequality in coffee.
About Baja Verapaz Cubulco
Baja Verapaz is one of Guatemala’s twenty-two departments. Within this central department is the municipality of Cubulco. Cubulco boasts numerous archaeological sites. The cultural heritage in Cubulco runs deep; the population, mainly comprised of indigenous people, continues to enjoy the customs passed down through generations. Meanwhile, paved roads to Guatemala’s capital, a tropical climate, high elevation, and healthy waterways make Cubulco ideal for the cultivation of coffee. Guatemala owes its distinctive, mountainous topography, lush rain forests, biodiversity,, and coffee to massive volcanic activity. Volcanic peaks and mountains roll across the country, carving out Guatemala’s unique coffee-growing regions. The mountain ranges help to create the country’s unique micro-climates. With the rich soil left behind in the wake of immense volcanic activity, Guatemala has the ideal conditions for coffee production.