De La Gente (Guatemala)
If you, like me, wake up and immediately seek the caffeinated bliss of a cup of coffee, then you are probably aware of Guatemala’s prowess as the cream of the crop, so to speak. It’s hard not to notice the posters in latte emporiums like Starbucks and Costa Coffee, but what we often miss in those feel-good “fair trade” campaigns is that working farmers in coffee-growing countries are more often underpaid and exploited.
Suffice it to say, small farmers everywhere have been struggling for what seems to be my entire lifetime. It isn’t just coffee, but corn and soy and any plethora of monopolizing agricultural empires that have undercut, patented, and lobbied the little man out of business. It’s a familiar soapbox these days,with droves and clones of films and books, an on-the-up local farmer’s market movement, and a scramble by big business to jump on the new marketing bandwagon.
In reality, despite all those posters and PR material strategically placed next to the sugar, sweeteners, and variety of cream/milk choices, to get a fair trade cup of coffee at Starbucks, a customer must specifically request it and often wait for it to be brewed (Talk about Coffee). In actuality, Starbucks has only recently increased to 10% of its coffee being fair trade, which does make it the world’s largest buyer of fair trade coffee but hardly supports the face it puts on.
For a moment, however, I’m going to climb down from the soapbox and talk about De la Gente Coffee.
Suffice it to say, small farmers everywhere have been struggling for what seems to be my entire lifetime. It isn’t just coffee, but corn and soy and any plethora of monopolizing agricultural empires that have undercut, patented, and lobbied the little man out of business. It’s a familiar soapbox these days,with droves and clones of films and books, an on-the-up local farmer’s market movement, and a scramble by big business to jump on the new marketing bandwagon.
In reality, despite all those posters and PR material strategically placed next to the sugar, sweeteners, and variety of cream/milk choices, to get a fair trade cup of coffee at Starbucks, a customer must specifically request it and often wait for it to be brewed (Talk about Coffee). In actuality, Starbucks has only recently increased to 10% of its coffee being fair trade, which does make it the world’s largest buyer of fair trade coffee but hardly supports the face it puts on.
For a moment, however, I’m going to climb down from the soapbox and talk about De la Gente Coffee.
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These days De la Gente has its fingers in many pies, and the village of San Miguel Escobar is better for it. Not only is there now a thriving and economically viable coffee business happen, a lot of other folks have thrown their business ideas in the mix. Local up-and-comers have created organic "causemetics", such as lip balm and face cream (from plants grown on the coffee farms), textile products (it's even rumoredthat an DLG-supported artisan invented Guatemala's famous souvenir coffee bag), metal masterpieces, jade jewelry, peanut butter, soaps, and sustainably-harvested woodwork. De la Gente is also working with coffee cooperatives in additional communities in Guatemala, including La Suiza and Huehuetenango.
Another big part of the artisan start-ups is hands-on tourism. For a long time now, DLG has offered coffee tours in which visitors are taken into fields on Volcan Agua and see firsthand where great coffee comes from. The coffee tours are guided by an actual member of the cooperative and include fresh coffee (roasted and brewed as part of the tour) at his house afterwards. Not to be left out, now many of the artisans offer hands-on experiences like Carlos Diaz's "make your own iguana" experience with metalwork, or taking a go at make your own textile bag, cooking traditional Guatemalan cuisine (pepian, a rich stew with a pumpkin seeds, chunky vegetables, and chicken), as well as cosmetics, peanut butter and woodworking workshops. The artisanal products, of course, help the San Miguel Escobar economy, but much more immediate in its impact, the tours and workshops bring in a steady, well-earned stream of income.
Another big part of the artisan start-ups is hands-on tourism. For a long time now, DLG has offered coffee tours in which visitors are taken into fields on Volcan Agua and see firsthand where great coffee comes from. The coffee tours are guided by an actual member of the cooperative and include fresh coffee (roasted and brewed as part of the tour) at his house afterwards. Not to be left out, now many of the artisans offer hands-on experiences like Carlos Diaz's "make your own iguana" experience with metalwork, or taking a go at make your own textile bag, cooking traditional Guatemalan cuisine (pepian, a rich stew with a pumpkin seeds, chunky vegetables, and chicken), as well as cosmetics, peanut butter and woodworking workshops. The artisanal products, of course, help the San Miguel Escobar economy, but much more immediate in its impact, the tours and workshops bring in a steady, well-earned stream of income.
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Beyond the great collection of tours, real and literal hands in the culture of the community, De la Gente has some strong options for volunteering and group tours – perfect for high school, college, and corporate groups, as well as families.
First of all, San Miguel Escobar is a fantastic location, pleasantly small and familiar but close enough (less than 10 minutes away) to Guatemala's tourist hub of Antigua, where trendy coffee shops, pizza restaurants, and party bars abound (if that's what you need for evening). DLG has a small guest house in San Miguel Escobar, where long-term and short-term volunteers can stay for pretty minimal fees. Or volunteers and visitors can stay in Antigua, closer to the action, and make the short journey to San Miguel Escobar for work.
Volunteer positions range from short-term work (a day, a week, a month), in which you'll be out in the fields or community to pitch in harvesting coffee or picking camotes (similar to a sweet potato) or dealing with many of the other crops grown around the coffee plants. You might choose to spend your time helping out with computer work, marketing, and other such non-dirty ventures of modern business. Longer-term volunteer work and internships are also a possibility.
First of all, San Miguel Escobar is a fantastic location, pleasantly small and familiar but close enough (less than 10 minutes away) to Guatemala's tourist hub of Antigua, where trendy coffee shops, pizza restaurants, and party bars abound (if that's what you need for evening). DLG has a small guest house in San Miguel Escobar, where long-term and short-term volunteers can stay for pretty minimal fees. Or volunteers and visitors can stay in Antigua, closer to the action, and make the short journey to San Miguel Escobar for work.
Volunteer positions range from short-term work (a day, a week, a month), in which you'll be out in the fields or community to pitch in harvesting coffee or picking camotes (similar to a sweet potato) or dealing with many of the other crops grown around the coffee plants. You might choose to spend your time helping out with computer work, marketing, and other such non-dirty ventures of modern business. Longer-term volunteer work and internships are also a possibility.
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De la Gente also offers trips for groups: Service Learning Trips, Corporate Volunteering and Community Organization trips. Their goal is to transform people into advocates of social change and people who value the community as a priority when making life decisions. In order to accomplish this, they set up their tripsby having everyone spend as much time with community members as possible, allowing space for reflection and discussion, and giving people the opportunity to (briefly) experience what life is like for those struggling in an unfair system.