Guatemala La Morena Huehuetenango FSHB 2023

Guatemala La Morena Program Unroasted Coffee

In 2016, Genuine Origin created the La Morena program to give female coffee growers access to the global supply chain and to address gender inequality in coffee farming. The program started off small; we worked with four IWCA members to import 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 and their coffees became highly sought after.

Fast forward to 2023: our 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. And roasters are thirsty for more!

Wakami Handcrafted Bracelets

Maria Renee Morales, General Manager at Volcafe Guatemala, spearheaded the La Morena coffee program from the beginning. But she did not want gender equality to stop at coffee. A few years ago, Maria augmented the program with the launch of Wakami bracelets.

Maria reached out to an NGO called Wakami that employs women artisans. Wakami’s artisans handcrafted commemorative bracelets for the La Morena program. By employing women to produce the bracelets we are expanding the impact of our La Morena program to help more women enjoy prosperity.

This year we contracted 1,000 bracelets from Wakami. We will ship bracelets to the roasters who buy (and ship) the first 1,000 boxes of La Morena coffees. To learn more about the La Morena program and Wakami visit our blog .

About Huehuetenango Coffee

Huehuetenango coffee is grown at heights up to 6,500 feet (2,000masl) in dry and frost-free conditions. By necessity, farmers in this highly remote area often set up their own mills along the many rivers to process their coffee.

• Temperature: 68-70F
• Rainfall: 48-56in
• Humidity: 70-80%
• Altitude: 5,000-6,500ft
• In the cup: intense acidity, full body, winey notes

Guatemala Coffee Origin Report

Guatemala owes its distinctive, mountainous topography, lush rain forests, biodiversity and its coffee to massive volcanic activity. Volcanic peaks and mountains roll across the country and carve out Guatemala’s unique coffee-growing regions. The mountain ranges help to create the country’s unique micro-climates. Together with the rich soil left behind in the wake of immense volcanic activity, Guatemala has the ideal conditions for coffee production. Learn more in our Guatemala Origin Report.