Producer Profiles
GUAYA'B - Asociación Civil Guaya'b Huehuetenango
Asociación Civil Guaya'b is a coffee cooperative located in the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala. The cooperative currently consists of 330 members, 316 of whom are indigenous. Formally established in 1998, Guaya'b began selling to the Fair Trade market in 2000.
The sales made by Guaya'b have brought stability to the cooperative and have enabled members to meet their basic needs. With the Fair Trade price, Guaya'b farmers have increased their own earnings and reinvested a portion of their profits into the community. As a result, the region’s economy is more stable and the rate of migration has decreased.
The sales made by Guaya'b have brought stability to the cooperative and have enabled members to meet their basic needs. With the Fair Trade price, Guaya'b farmers have increased their own earnings and reinvested a portion of their profits into the community. As a result, the region’s economy is more stable and the rate of migration has decreased.
Quotable
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Since we began selling at the Fair Trade price we have seen a big improvement in our quality of life. Cooperative members can now afford to buy clothes and medicine for their families, and they benefit from the new programs the cooperative has implemented with revenue from Fair Trade sales. ” Antonio Carmelo Camposeco, Guaya'b President
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Programs
Workshops and Training for Women
The cooperative offers womens' programs focusing on female nutrition, and work and business training.
Additional Income from Additional Crops
Guaya'b members have invested premium funds into growing peanuts, fruit and peppers for sale in local markets.
Medical Insurance
Guaya'b cooperative members voted to finance medical insurance for members and their families with Fair Trade premiums.