Empowering the People and Communities Behind the Cup with De La Gente
In a town 15 minutes from the city of Antigua, among the slopes of volcanic soil, the sun rises, and the day slowly begins. Farmers emerge from their homes, ready to nurture delicate coffee beans.
When tourists arrive, they are welcomed by farmers with warm smiles and excitement for sharing their knowledge and passion for this valued crop. Guests walk through the rows of coffee trees, learning about the bean-to-brew process, and later gathering to enjoy freshly brewed coffee.
Coffee is more than just a drink. It’s a livelihood, a celebration of culture, and a bridge for connecting people with the earth and communities.
Coffee plantation at the slopes of Agua Volcano
Perspectives of a Coffee Community
One farmer whose story exemplifies this dedication is Carlos Paredes, who joined De La Gente’s Guatemala Community Tourism Program in 2023. He is the third generation of coffee farmers in his family, with his journey beginning in the Coffee Growers of San Miguel Escobar Cooperative. Growing up surrounded by coffee, Carlos learned about the intricacies of farming at a young age.
In the past, he only sold his coffee as fruit, but he is now expanding upon processing methods and selling more coffee. Before joining the Community Tourism Program, the only income he generated was from cultivating coffee. Being involved in the program has greatly affected his coffee farming operations, especially during the summer when they don’t have a harvest. Coffee cultivation doesn’t provide a consistent income for farmers, so hosting coffee tours is extra income.
Carlos Humberto and his wife, Mayra at their house
Carlos was asked how coffee farming and working with De La Gente has impacted his community. He shared some insight on this:
“We can support other people in the community by hiring them during the harvest. By working with De La Gente, we are motivated to have better crops to be able to export, and that is how we [can] hire people from the community [while also motivating] them to join the cooperative and teach them everything we have learned so that more people can export coffee.”
Opportunities arise when ideas are exchanged, such as branching out into the tourism industry by hosting cooking classes.
Cristina Morales, the wife of a coffee producer of the Coffee Growers of San Miguel Escobar Cooperative, has been teaching cooking classes for about four years. She invites guests into her home to share a culinary experience, further connecting visitors with Guatemala’s rich traditions and flavors of local cuisine.
Cristina Morales at her kitchen during a cooking class
She has seen her community generate new ideas and benefit greatly from tourism, especially through working with other businesses in her town.
“My husband is a member of the group of coffee producers that hosts the coffee tour. Since lunch is served [during the tour], the idea of doing cooking classes arose from there, and they invited me to teach the classes. In my case, when I buy the ingredients, I buy everything in the same town, in different little stores, so in this way, we help different people’s businesses.”
Tourism’s Influence on Coffee Communities
Most people are familiar with the idea of buying a bag of roasted coffee beans or sitting at a cafe on a Thursday morning, but have you ever considered the work and knowledge a cup of coffee requires?
By including community-based tourism experiences in your travels, you are contributing to generating an alternative income for coffee communities. This will lead to the development of knowledge and infrastructure and support Guatemala’s socio-economic evolution. You, as a consumer, play an important role in making coffee-growing a dignified livelihood.
Cooking class
De La Gente Guatemala implemented the Community Tourism Program with the members of the communities with whom we work, to generate economic opportunities for small-scale coffee producers and raise awareness about the coffee industry by inviting tourists to the farmers’ land to showcase their hard work, providing a market for their specialty coffee, and educate visitors on paying fair prices.
By working in unity, we have designed experiences that will enrich both the visitors and the hosts. Our goal is to ensure that every experience is authentic and portrays the reality behind a single cup of coffee or daily meal in a traditional Guatemalan household.
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