A surprising path towards organic farming in Guatemala

Earlier this year we had the chance to travel back to an origin that feels a little bit like coming home. Partly due to the time spent here working on different projects and visiting farms in the area and partly due to the warm welcome we receive each time we visit our friends Josué, Carolina and the entire team behind LVC.

Josué and Carolina Morales are the owners of Los Volcanes Coffee located in Antigua, in the Central Highlands of Guatemala. This historical town is surrounded by three volcanoes, namely the dormant Acatenango and Pacaya and the dangerously active Fuego. Although these volcanoes have caused quite the disasters throughout history, and even recent history (Fuego’s eruption led to a tragedy in 2018), coffee varieties such as ‘Bourbon’ and ‘Catuai’ thrive on the fertile, porous volcanic soils that perfectly retain moisture.

We were excited to visit the area again to see the progress that was made since we were there a few years ago. Josue and the team have been leading in organic agricultural practices and research for over a decade now. But it hasn’t always been like that, the path to organic farming has been quite an interesting one.

In 2010 Guatemala, with most of Latin America, was seriously hit by the destructive leaf rust called Roya; a fungal disease that prevents the survival mechanisms of the coffee plant by affecting photosynthesis. At that time, Josue’s only requirement was the quality of the cup, which was seriously affected by the leaf rust. Left with a destroyed coffee farm, he realized that he needed a different way forward.