COFFEE PROGRAM (Asociación Chajulense)

In 2008, The Coffee Trust was asked by Asociación Chajulense, the local fair trade, organic coffee association in San Gaspar Chajul, Guatemala to address a wide variety of challenges facing the deeply indigenous Ixil people, such as the trauma from a 36-year war and chronic poverty. With the logistical support and collaboration of Asociación Chajulense, The Coffee Trust responded to this ask by supporting education programs, a more diversified economy, food initiatives, and improved organic agriculture. This response has been a long-term effort and not limited to members of the coffee association.

In 2014, coffee rust fungus (la roya) destroyed 80% of Asociación Chajulense’s coffee crop. The Coffee Trust joined them and together, they embarked on an ambitious four-year Roya Recovery Project that helped the coffee producers recover production and avoid a collapse of the association.

More recently, The Coffee Trust has begun working with Asociación Chajulense to help farmers defend their crops against several pathogens as they encounter different challenges resulting from the changing climate. Changing weather patterns have been wreaking havoc on coffee production - disrupting plant flowering, causing irregular rain patterns, and producing insect infestations. The Coffee Trust is now working with Asociación Chajulense on a plant renovation project, which focuses on replacing older, weaker plants with newer, stronger ones. The plan is to replace 20% of the Asociación’s coffee plants with younger plants until the entire crop consists of younger, more resilient plants.