Guatemala Red de Mujeres is Bad Hand's newest single origin from an all-female coffee collective. Here's why you'll love it
#1: It’s grown and produced by a community of women
The Red de Mujeres, or network of women, is a large group of 830 female coffee producers covering five different areas of Huehuetenango, Western Guatemala. All of these women have either widowed during the 36 years of civil war in Guatemala, or were left when their husbands fled the country during the 2001-2004 coffee crisis.
Huehuetenango was one of the areas hit hardest. Many people decided to give up altogether and find work elsewhere, leaving their families behind. With the help of the organisation ACODIHUE, these female coffee producers have been united to market their coffee and find international buyers.
ACODIHUE has also supported them in training in organic farming methods, from producing and applying fertilisers, to rust and pest control methods. Falcon, one of our fantastic green bean suppliers, has started working with ACODIHUE to improve the quality of production even further, starting with Red de Mujeres.
#2: The money goes directly to the female coffee producers
Women tend to be heavily involved in the cultivation (the growing, sorting and processing), but what normally happens is that most of the earnings go to men who own the property and manage the commercial deals. That's not the case here.
We are very excited to be involved in helping support a female-led initiative that promotes local women through all stages of the process, helping empower them both socially and economically.
#3: Not only is the coffee organic, it tastes absolutely delicious
The unique climate and chalky soils of Huehuetenango are ideal for the production of high quality arabica coffee.
We’re getting very chocolatey notes in the cup from this bean, with a cinder sweetness that takes us back to the days of eating Violet Crumbles (the Aussie equivalent of a Crunchie). The creamy body of the coffee helps it cut through milk, making it a great coffee for all brewing types and espresso.