Shade grown, certified Organic and Fair Trade, this Single Origin Guatemalan coffee is produced by Cooperativa Nahualá. Nahualá is a group of 126 families working together to improve their own lives, improve the crops they grow, and care for the environment in which they live. The cooperative was formed to provide producers with higher wages by connecting them with overseas buyers, wages they can then invest back into their farms. The increased production they have achieved has allowed them to support scholarship programs and reforestation efforts in the surrounding area.
Cooperative Nahualá is located in the state of Sololá which is known for its beautiful Lake Atitlan. The members of the co-op are part of Guatemala’s indigenous Mayan population which still proudly uphold many of the traditional cornerstones of their culture. Located in and around the rural village of Pasac, these farmers live and work on the steep mountainous slopes between 2,000 – 4,000 feet of elevation in one of Central America’s most lively volcanic areas. As an organized entity, the group has worked with different agencies, government bodies, and non-profits over the years to bring many changes to their area including potable water, a primary school, health center, electricity, telephones, community center, churches, a co-op hostel for visitors, soccer field, community cemetery, and a community library.
Nahualá also works to promote gender equality through specific trainings and overall inclusion of their women members. It established a Café Femenino Program in 2005. In an effort to promote a healthy relationship with their natural environment, the cooperative is dedicated to organic production and has been producing certified organic coffee for export for more than 10 years.
