Organic Guatemala SHB Huehuetenango ASOBAGRI SMBC

While many are familiar with Huehuetenango and the reputation of their specialty coffee, few have ventured to this isolated corner of Guatemala. The Royal New York team is lucky to have gone many times over the years.  We are also proud to have been the first to import Fair Trade certified coffee from Asociación Barillense de Agricultores (ASOBAGRI).

The rugged terrain of the area has preserved the indigenous heritage, distinct clothing, and dialects that can vary from one mountain ridge to the next. ASOBAGRI has become an important bridge for these local coffee farmers to the international specialty coffee community. This cooperative is one of the most sophisticated and well organized in the world.  They have over 1,400 members, spread across 80 communities, who cultivate and harvest their own coffee on small farms with their own micro-mills. ASOBAGRI is also committed to promoting gender equality throughout the organization.

"ASOBAGRI" or The Asociacion Barillense de Agricultores was founded in 1989 by 20 Mayan coffee and cardamom farmers. It currently has more than 1,200 cooperative members. The members of ASOBAGRI are from approximately 30 small villages in the Huehuetenango region, surrounded by the Cuchumantanes Mountains and the Maxbal Forest Reserve. This coffee is shade grown under guava, plantain and banana trees. ASOBAGRI promotes sustainable agriculture by training its farmers in organic production methods and they continue to reinvest in their infrastructure while exploring new quality control measures through financing and operating their own warehouses and drying patios.