Huehuetenango, Guatemala – Santa Bárbara Region ‎
This lot comes from several small farms in the Santa Bárbara area of the Huehuetenango municipality, Guatemala. The region lies at the foothills of the Cuchumatanes mountain range — the highest non-volcanic mountain system in Central America. A unique mix of warm and cool air currents protects the area from frost, creating ideal conditions for coffee cultivation at elevations up to 2,000 masl. ‎
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Huehuetenango is known for its limestone-rich soils with relatively high pH levels, which directly influence the cup profile’s bright and distinct acidity. Coffee from this region is considered among the finest in Guatemala. ‎
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Farming in Santa Bárbara ‎
Average farm size: 0.2 hectares ‎
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Average coffee trees: ~500 per farm ‎
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Annual yield: up to 5 bags per producer ‎
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Most producers live on their farms with their families and work collectively, combining harvests for sale. Santa Bárbara is home to predominantly indigenous communities, each with its own unique traditions, languages, and culture. ‎
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The coffee trees here are typically small, with dense branching and tiny, flatter-shaped cherries. Processing methods are simple — most farmers use basic hand-cranked pulpers and ferment coffee in plastic barrels or wooden tanks. ‎
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The Role of Unitrade Coffee ‎
Huehuetenango is both the name of a large department and its capital city. While no coffee is grown in the city itself, cultivation thrives in the highlands to its west and north. Due to limited on-farm processing resources, local farmers have partnered with Unitrade Coffee, an export company that operates a centralized wet mill in Huehuetenango. ‎
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In addition to facilitating access to international markets, Unitrade founded CoffeeCare, an organization focused on education, nutrition, and healthcare for farmers and their children. ‎
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