The Huehuetenango Highland Coffee Presidium

The Huehuetenango region is situated at the foot of the Cuchumatanes mountains, in northwestern Guatemala, near the Mexican border. Its altitude goes from 850 to 3700 meters and this variation creates a series of different natural habitats. Both its altitude and climate contribute to making this region one of the best for coffee production.

Coffe arrived in Guatemala for the first time in the XVIII century and since then it has become the main source of income for the locals; in fact, we can affirm that Huehuetenango is a one-crop region. Each farmer has a small portion of land which is characterized by fluctuating productivity; no-one has the technical knowledge to produce and process coffe, nevertheless they produce an excellent and unique Arabica Coffee which has many organoleptic peculiarities, even if the different ecosystems of the region create the right conditions to harvest different crus (wich were analyzed by a team of experts before the birth of the Presidium). Coffee cherries are harvested by hand and put in wicker baskets that the harvesters carry with them; the beans are separated from their skin with an artisanal process which consists in leaving them to ferment for 24 or 26 hours; after this phase the beans are dried in the sun for three days, during which time they are constantly turned manually with a rake.

The inhabitants of the region are mostly indigenous from different tribes such as the Mam (Huehuetenango is the ancient capital of the Mam kingdom), the Akateco, the Jacalteco, the Chuj, the Kanjobal and the Maya; they are people who survived a long civil war (it lasted more than 35 years) that completely destroyed the territory, especially after the introduction of the “scorched earth” technique. Without Slow Food's intervention small producers could enter in the market only through local coyotes which meant selling the product (when it is still a cherry on its plant) for very little money, generating an income for the intermediaries and not for the farmers.

It is for this reason that Slow Food has been operating in the Huehuetenango region since 2002 to create a solid and fair production and market which can reward even the smallest producers for their work. After a short period of time the Huehuetenango Highland Coffee Presidium was born triggering an irreversible improvement of both the quality of the product and the locals' lifestyle. This all came about thanks to a production disciplinary in accordance with which the harvesting and drying phases are established and where it is written that all producers must safeguard thier territory. It also organizes training courses for the producers and their families and fosters the creation of a producers' cooperative to market the finished product. The natives themselves have noticed how much their living standards have improved in only a few years. Today, the Huehuetenango Highland Coffee is one of the most sold in the world and the cooperatives that deals with sales is present on all the markets worldwide. However, what is perhaps the most important outcome is that the small producers, once illiterate and ignorant, are now fully aware of the excellent results obtained and want to hand down their knowledge to future generations.