Asociación Chajulense (Va’l Vaq Qujol) is an organization of indigenous people located in the municipality of Chajul, in the region known as the “Ixil Triangle ” in the department of Quiché in central Guatemala. In this region particularly affected by the long civil war, the Chajulense association was created in 1988 by 40 families to promote a model of sustainable development in the communities that is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just and culturally appropriate.
About 1,500 farmers from 56 neighboring communities now make up the cooperative, and since 2013 the group has been working with the nonprofit organization The Coffee Trust to combat a new adversary: the Roya (coffee rust). This fungal disease is devastating in Central America, killing coffee plants and reducing crop yields. Through a farmer-to-farmer best practices sharing program, association members have learned to replenish their soil’s nutrients, which helps coffee trees resist coffee rust in a 100% organic way.
Once out of our roasting workshop, this coffee develops a nice balance between its sweet finish and its vivacity. It has a pleasant acidity in the mouth, while not being astringent. Guatemalan specialty coffees are very popular with Cooperative Coffees member roasters in North America, as they are very versatile coffees with woody profiles that are great in both filter and espresso blends.
