Enoemia’s Story Enoemia Mazariegos is a member of the cooperative ACODIHUE, in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. She lives in the community of Villa Linda in her parents’ house with her two sons. Being a single mom, Enoemia has had a difficult time getting ahead in life and providing for her two children — Alfonso and Keybar.. “A single mother carries a stigma in this society, limiting their opportunities.” Through contact with Food 4 Farmers Enoemia gained a new opportunity. She was offered a position to help as a Food Security Coordinator. About being offered the position Enomeia said “I had a ..read more

Josefa’s Story In the heart of Pamaxan, a secluded and picturesque village nestled in the breathtaking Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, lives the remarkable Josefa Lux. At 23 years old, Josefa is a beacon of hope and inspiration for her entire community. Pamaxan, a part of the San Juan Cotzal municipality, is a place where dreams often seem distant. With its rugged terrain and limited access to basic necessities like running water and electricity, it seems unlikely to find a home with solar panels, and a family business with three looms for handmaking heritage textiles, and yet Josefa has made al ..read more

Isabel’s Story In the heart of the Ojo de Agua community in the Ixil region of Guatemala, there lives a remarkable woman named Isabel. At 33 years old, she’s the proud mother of five beautiful children. Isabel was born and raised in this tight-knit community, and it’s where she’s chosen to build her life. But her story is not just about where she comes from; it’s about where she’s headed.   From the very beginning, life had not dealt Isabel an easy hand. She didn’t have the opportunity to attend school, yet she understood the immense importance of education. This awareness led her to ..read more

Progress Report: Maya Ixil, Guatemala Justo Perez Itzep Justo Perez Itzep Justo’s family has struggled to recover since 2013 when coffee rust decimated their coffee production. Then in 2018 a landslide wiped out much of their farm. Justo’s father – a participant in the Food 4 Farmers beekeeping program – headed north to seek work to support the family. As the oldest child, Justo took over his father’s hives and now manages their small farm. He talks with his dad every week by phone, to get advice on managing the bees and the farm, where they now grow cardamom, coffee and food for the family. I ..read more

Progress Report: Comepcafe, Colombia A mother and daughter team at COMEPCAFE (above) share produce from their garden, including alchucha, a local fruit used raw in salads or cooked. A group of 17 community promoters are providing hands-on training with 288 families to revitalize interest in healthy, traditional foods that can lead to healthier diets. (See this article from Atlas Obscura for more on the Alchucha, otherwise known as the Achachairú.) As they improve their home gardening techniques, families at COMEPCAFE are learning how to plan water usage and protect water sources. Mapping local ..read more

Blanca’s Journey to Motherhood – An Agros Story In honor of mothers across the world, we want to share the story of Blanca Nubia, a young mother who, through the support of Agros, has risen above poverty into prosperity. From Despair… Blanca found out she was pregnant when COVID-19 hit. She and her husband, Yader, lived in a shack without running water or a basic latrine. Though they worked hard as day laborers, it was difficult to earn more than a few dollars a day and work was even more unpredictable. Fears and uncertainty about her living situation were worsened with the ..read more

(Domingo Enoc Toma Lopez, a coffee farmer and beekeeper, models a Maya Ixil veil above.) Beekeeping for families in Maya Ixil, Guatemala Isabella de la Cruz Medina displays her certificate after completing her beekeeping training with Maya Ixil Cooperative. She is among 13 young people who have joined the cooperative’s beekeeping program and also works as a promoter. (Maya Ixil was recently featured in an NPR story on how communities are adapting to COVID19 and supporting families.) Nineteen-year-old Isabella de la Cruz Medina first caught the “beekeeping bug” three years ago while helping h ..read more

The Artistry of the Roast Does your cup of coffee transport your senses to a different place depending on the flavor and your mood? Roasting coffee beans is an art no different than painting a masterpiece; time, heat, and color take the place of brushes and palettes. Your favorite roast requires an artist skilled in the nuances of coffee bean flavors and aromas; anything less is like snapping a Polaroid versus creating a Rembrandt. The heat is on A coffee bean starts out as a hard pit; then it goes through a process of fermentation and drying making it softer and sort of grassy smelling. In th ..read more

Are you wondering if or not your coffee has any health benefits? Are coffee naysayers touting the ill effects and making you want to give up on your cuppa coffee? Well, we have put together the top five reasons why you shouldn’t. Lowers the risk of a heart disease Studies have shown that individuals who consume three to five cups of coffee in a day are less likely to exhibit the signs of heart disease. Individuals with an intake of at least three cups of coffee are less likely to develop calcification in the coronary arteries. For more info on coffee and heart health check out our blog ..read more