Guaya'b Asociacion Civil
Purpose
Guaya'b Asociacion Civil was formed in 1999, with the aim of providing better livelihoods for its members through higher prices and other development assistance. To meet this aim, the organisation has focused on three key areas; technical production support, provision of credit services, and sales/marketing.
Producers
The association represents 477 coffee and honey producers in the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes region near Huehuetenango, in north-western Guatemala. 299 of these producers are listed as coffee growers and 178 as honey producers, although in practice some members have both honey and coffee. Most of the members are Popti' Maya, and the group's name means "mutual benefit" in their language.
Benefits
Among the services Guaya'b offers to its members are a low interest loan service (farmers typically are left without sufficient cash in the months prior to harvest to pay for essentials, and may not be able to find casual work in this period either), and services for local women such as nutritional advice and work and business training (making honey-processing equipment and running a honey store in Jacaltenango).
Technical assistance aimed at improving the quality of honey and coffee production is central to Guaya'b's work. The co-operative provides an at-cost supply of certified coffee seedlings to its members.
A revolving credit fund supports members' efforts to renovate their coffee farms.
Construction of its own wet processing mill on the outskirts of Jacaltenango has created an opportunity for many coffee-producing members of Guaya'b to process their coffee from cherry stage to dried coffee parchment much more cheaply (at about 25% of the previous cost), and more quickly, than they previously could. It is also expected that by using the wet mill farmers can produce a more consistent, higher quality coffee than they can in their own backyards.
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