About This Coffee
Cooperative Aquil Grande was established in 1974 to support coffee producers in the town of Aquil Grande in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Smallholders there have an average of 1 to 5 hectares where they cultivate Bourbon and Caturra varieties. The cooperative aims to help farmers improve coffee quality and garner high prices for their coffee.
Coffee was first introduced in the region by migrants from Germany in 1935. At first, there were about 45 hectares planted with coffee. They also built a wet mill that first year. Today, members of the cooperative farm a total of 338 hectares.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Cooperative members selectively handpick ripe, red cherry and process it on their farms. They pulp coffee and ferment it in cement tanks for about 12 hours. Following fermentation, parchment is washed in clean water on laid on patios to dry. Producers rake parchment frequently to ensure even drying.
Coffee in Guatemala
Guatemala boasts a variety of growing regions and conditions that produce spectacular coffees. Today, the country is revered as a producer of some of the most flavorful and nuanced cups worldwide. We are proud to work with several exceptional in-country partners to bring these coffees to market.
The Guatemalan coffee industry experienced a major setback with the 2010 appearance of Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Latin America. The epidemic peaked in severity in 2012, and though CLR continues to affect some farms, Guatemala continues to produce high-quality, record-breaking coffees. In 2017, new and varied processing methods pushed prices at the Guatemalan Cup of Excellence contest to record highs.
The quality of coffee being produced in Guatemala is increasing, overall, due to the diversity of the industry’s producers. There are more and more small holder farmers producing exceptional coffee at high altitudes. Cooperatives are becoming more appealing to so many smallholders because they often offer farmers financing and other support for improving their farming and processing and are frequently able to offer higher prices for cherry than middlemen. Many cooperatives have initiated quality improvement training for farmer members and are becoming more adept at helping members market their coffee as specialty.