Guatemala Manos de Mujer comes from the ACODIHUE cooperative in the mountainous territory of Cuchumatan, Huehuetenango near the border with Mexico. Manos de Mujer is grown and produced by indigenous women who are now the owners of their land as a result of widowing from a civil war and men migrating into the United States. ACODIHUE certified the women producers as Manos de Mujer (Women’s Hands) to recognize the hard work of these women and their contribution to both their households and to the national economy. One of the major benefits for producers belonging to ACODIHUE are the investments that the cooperative makes into the community. ACODIHUE recently launched a vegetable gardening skill building program where women can learn to farm their own vegetables to feed their families and also sell to local markets for extra income.
 
Only 22% of ACODIHUE's annual production goes under the designation of Café con Manos de Mujer, representing a refined selection of the cooperative's coffee. The ripe Manos de Mujer coffee is picked by hand during the harvest season, which begins shortly after Christmas and lasts until nearly Easter. The coffee is grown at an average elevation of 1500 meters above sea level. The most common varieties are Red and yellow Bourbon, as well as Typica and Caturra.
 
Impact:
 
Living Income Pricing
 
80% of the world’s coffee farmers live below the poverty line and current prices paid to farmers do not meet farmers’ livelihood needs. This coffee was purchased using Bellwether’s Living Income Pricing benchmark which ensures that coffee producers were paid a fair, sustainable wage. By purchasing this coffee you’re helping interrupt poverty among coffee farmers by paying a price that closes the living income gap. 
 
Farmer Impact Fund
 
The Farmer Impact Fund further invests in coffee communities through direct balloon payments to producers who have autonomy to use the money on community and farm-level projects. By adding a small surcharge to your green coffee purchase, these funds are directly distributed to farmers, providing a direct connection between you and your customers to the lives of producers for the first time in the coffee industry. 
 
Through the Farmer Impact Fund the ACODIHUE cooperative launched a dental hygiene program for their members, 70% of whom are female farmers. Dental care in the Cuchumatan region of Guatemala is often either unattainable because of distance to the nearest clinic or cost prohibitive for coffee producers. To date, the funds provided through the Farmer Impact Fund have enabled 14 people—12 women, one man, and one child—to receive emergency dental care. Contribute to the Farmer Impact Fund today to continue investing in the producers of this region. Your contribution unlocks marketing materials for you to promote your impact with your customers.