Partners

Farmers

Farmers who grow Maya Earth Coffee are members of the following Mayan ethnic groups in Guatemala: Mam, Tzutujil, Kakchiquel Quiche, and Ixil. They are members of cooperatives or community-based associations that own and cultivate individual coffee plots, and they live in several provinces scattered among the Guatemalan highlands including: Solola, San Marcos, Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, El Quiche, and Chimaltenango.

Currently, Maya Earth Coffee is proud to support the following coffee cooperatives:

Cooperative – Asociacion Barrillense de Agricultores, ASOBAGRI

Located in Huehuetenango, approximately 200 miles north of Guatemala City, ASOBAGRI was founded in 1989 by 20 K’anjob’al Mayan coffee and cardamom farmers. A period of political violence and increasing poverty followed, during which many small farmers abandoned their land. Since then, however, ASOBAGRI has grown stronger year after year. The co-op grows high-quality, shade-grown coffee using organic compost. Since becoming Fair Trade certified by Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) 1999, ASOBAGRI has enjoyed significantly higher revenues.

Cooperative - Mayan Alternative Commercial Cooperative. COMAL

Also located in Huehuetenango, COMAL was founded approximately 50 years ago and currently has about 170 members, primarily from the Mam ethnic group. These community members are located in the heart of the Sierra Madre del Occidente, Huehuetenango and produce some of the most finest, superb SHB coffee that is grown at altitudes as high as 6000 feet. Their coffee is almost always pre-sold before the harvest begins.

Chajulense Association

In 1988, farmers and surviving members of the devastated cooperative la Unión Ixil established an informal association to address the exploitation of farmers by intermediaries and to provide members with affordable access to necessities. The Asociación Chajulense (Asociación Chajulense Va’l Vaq Quyol) was formally founded in 1990 by 1,800 farmers in San Gaspar Chajul, El Quiche, Guatemala. Their coffee is grown at altitudes of 5,500 feet and is an excellent SHB. All farmers are from the Ixil ethnic group, located in the Ixil Triangle.

Community of Pasajquim, Solola

This coffee comes from an area just west of Lake Atitlan and is produced by the Pasajquim Community (Communidad Pasajquim) based in the municipality of Santa Clara La Laguna. Community members recently reorganized about 4 years ago, with the technical assistance of Planeta Uno. Approximately 100 small coffee farmers from the Quiche and Tzutujil ethnic groups grow organic  coffee and both men and women have their individual plots of coffee which is distinct from other communities. Coffees from this region (Atitlan) are highed coveted and Pasajquim is no exception.


Planeta Uno

Leonel Soto, Co-Founder/Owner of Planeta Uno, is a Guatemalan-based agricultural training and consulting firm. Mr. Soto is a Mayan engineer-agronomist and international consultant with over 30 years experience practicing and teaching organic growing methods, including the cultivation of organic coffee and other exportable agricultural products.  Mr. Soto has an excellent working relation with all sectors of the coffee industry including exporters, dry milling processors, financiers, wet milling processors, brokers, and farmers. He currently provides technical, agricultural, and financial assistance to members of grass-roots, Mayan coffee cooperatives located throughout Guatemala and Mexico.

Coffee Roasters

Martin and Hannah Jennings founded Nectar of Life Coffee Company in January 2003. Their quest is first, to roast only the finest gourmet Arabica coffees; and second, to roast only coffees that are certified both organic and Fair Trade. It is Nectar of Life’s belief that the best way to make Fair Trade certified coffees a staple, instead of a novelty, is to provide the public with organic, Fair Trade coffees that rival the world’s finest gourmet coffees and to offer these coffees at a reasonable price. Since its foundation, Nectar of Life Coffee Co. has grown to symbolize the pinnacle of gourmet organic coffee and has firmly stood on its guiding principles of ecological and social responsibility.

Co-Founder and Master Roaster, Martin F. Jennings III, graduated with High Honors from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Viticulture and Enology. Martin went on to make fine wines in both California and Washington State. His love of coffee and organic products brought him to a point where he knew that there must be a way to roast organic coffees to have the same full-bodied flavors as the world’s finest non-organic gourmet coffees. With his experience in chemistry, and sensory (flavor) science, Martin left the wine industry to pursue roasting the finest organic coffees of the world. The result is the Nectar of Life®.

Anvil Coffee Roasting

Walla Walla Roastery – Walla Walla, WA

Evans Brothers Coffee – Sandpoint, ID

House of Miracles – Berlin, PA


Non-Profits

Non-profit organizations are almost always in need of extra resources to fund their activities, and Maya Earth Coffee is ready to support them.  We have taken co-marketing an extra mile for our non-profit partners. For every pound of coffee they order from us, we donate 10% to their not-for-profit organization. Below is a list of current organization participating in our “Coffee with a Cause” program.

Participating Organizations

Financing Organizations

NUMERICA CREDIT UNION – Spokane, WA

SNAP FINANCIAL ACCESS – Spokane, WA