Honduras Gea Woman Produced

La Asociacion Sostenible de Café de Guatemala (ASDECAFE) is a sustainable, second-level coffee association in Guatemala with more than 1,000 active producer members. It was founded in September 2013 by six small, first-level producer organizations and today includes seven co-ops in the regions of Huehuetenango and El Quiche.

Honduras Gea Organic is a washed coffee sourced from women producers in Lempira, Ocotepeque, Intibuca, Copan, La Paz, El Paraíso and Comayagua. Their farms are at altitudes between 1,100 and 1,650 meters, and they use drying practices that include patios, solar dryers and raised beds.

In Greek mythology, Gea (pronounced hay-uh) is the goddess of the Earth and the mother of all creation. Neumann Kaffee Gruppe (NKG) exporter Becamo created this regional blend from the coffees of more than 400 women producers and gave it a name that, it says, “embodies the determined spirit of women."

Women producers — whether because a partner has passed away or migrated, or out of a pure passion for coffee — absolutely seize the opportunities that coffee presents, say our colleagues at Becamo. They rise before dawn to care for children and elders and tend to housekeeping, all before heading to the fields. Women also create opportunities and resources for one another, lend a hand during harvest, offer advice and bring notable attention to the details in their drying and milling.

Per Becamo: “Women have also shown their ability to take a rough patch of land and turn it into a successful coffee farm, in part by planting timber and fruit alongside coffee crops, to increase shade and soil moisture and to encourage microclimates that bring complexity and quality to the cup.” This coffee acknowledges and pays tribute to their work.