COOPERATIVE BIO
Hidden amongst the highlands of Huehuetenango, the fascinating route leading to the farms of Cooperative Todos Santos ASODIETT begins at the highest point of the Sierra de Los Cuchumatanes, 3,200 meters above sea level. After descending 800 meters one arrives in the town, Todos Santos. From there one continues downward to the village of Tuiboch consisting of 3,000 people with men garnished in traditional Mayan Mam clothing. Surrounding this village, starting at 1,800 meters going down to 1,400 meters, exists the coffee farming communities that make up this coffee cooperative.

The Cooperative Todos Santos ASODIETT was formed by a committee of 10 producers in 1995. Over the years this cooperative has grown to 55 producers. The different farms of the cooperative range from half a hectare to 10 hectares in size. Traditionally this cooperative produced Bourbon and Caturra varietals. With recent renovations they have added Sarchimor, Catimor, Anacafe 14 and various plots of Pacamara to their repertoire of organic certified coffees.

Between the warm winds coming from the valley of Río Ocho, the unique rain pattern of this region and the altitude, most of the cherries ripen uniformly over a short period of time. This lends to a shorter harvest season lasting between January and March. These factors make the harvest easier and less costly in the form of pickers and time spent harvesting.

In Guatemala the rainy season typically ends around September or October. In this region it continues well past these months, sometimes even raining during the harvest season. This makes the drying of the coffee particularly tricky. Most of the coffee from these producers is processed in their houses and dried on small patios or roof tops. The cooperative now has a warehouse in the village of Tuiboch that stores the bags of dried, sometimes semi dried parchment that are sent on the long route to Beneficio La Esperanza to be cupped and exported.

LVC INVOLVEMENT

Over the years the joint projects conducted between Los Volcanes and Cooperative Todos Santos have been more advanced than other programs in the region. Through farm renovations, planting new rust resistant varieties and a change to the spacing between each plant, the main priority was to increase yield per hectare through a different approach to farming.

On the farms there are now less plants per hectare, yet each plant has a higher yield. This is due to the fact that each plant can receive personalized treatment, having more space to grow and access nutrients from the soil and sun. The size of the plant can be better controlled and the dosage of nutrition needed per plant is easier measured and apply.

Most important in this renovation was the application of an “ecologic box” which is a 1x1x1 meter hole dug between each plant. The idea is that these boxes will collect folleage, retain water and moisture, and help prevent erosion in this mountainous terrain. Ultimately these holes collect and store organic material and moisture for the plants to use during the extended periods of heat and drought that plague the region.

To continue growing sustainable organic coffee, quality must increase with productivity. In the specialty coffee market, high productivity means little if it jeopardizes the quality. LVC is able to sample the day lots from each producer in the cooperative,enabling us to provide immediate feedback. This information is utilized to make adjustments to the agricultural and processing approaches of the cooperative in order to continue cultivating and harvesting high quality coffees.

We will continue to connect this cooperative to the specialty organic coffee market. This market offers higher prices to producers than traditionally seen in this region. These prices in exchange for the hard work and dedication of the farmers pays off in the form of humane community development, such as the health clinic recently built in Tuiboch which services thousands of people from surrounding communities. It also enables the producers to invest more in their farms to continue producing quality coffee.

Through building lasting sustainable relationships with both producers and roasters, we aim to offer high quality, specialty traceable coffee year after year. Through our work we hope to bring people together and enable the world to enjoy delicious coffees while continuing to sustainably support this important agricultural economy in Guatemala.