FTO Guatemala

Fair Trade– and organic-certified coffees from Guatemala are moderately common, as many smallholder producers have organized themselves into democratically run cooperatives and have achieved certification in part to leverage the value of their coffee output. Guatemala's coffee sector sees participation from many groups of indigenous producers, who typically have a strong cultural connection with preserving and conserving the land and natural resources, making organic certification a relevant choice.

ACODIHUE

ACODIHUE is a Fair Trade and Organic certified organization established in 1996. The cooperative is made up of top-level associations and community committees representing the individual producers. ACODIHUE promotes respect for their specific differences, such as rural life, diversity of cultures, gender and religious beliefs.

Specifically, ACODIHUE is focused on poverty reduction and food insecurity of it's members. It contributes to projects co-financed by international and national organizations in the areas of health, education, food security, gender equity, agricultural production, and restoration/conservation of the environment.

ACODIHUE serves 16 municipalities in the department of Huehuetenango, two municipalities in San Marcos, and two in Totonicapán. Over 40,000 farmers are members of this Coop.

ACODIHUE's coffee comes from 71% of indigenous women coffee producers in the mountainous territory of Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango, with an average altitude of 1,500 meters (4,920 feet) above sea level. They utilize a traditional way of processing: natural fermentation, manual selection and drying in the sun.