Organic-Fair Farming HAND IN HAND-Partner
HAND IN HAND partner CODECH protects tropical forests
Hero coffee from Guatemala
HAND IN HAND partner CODECH protects tropical forests
Fair-trade, organic Arabica coffee produced by peasants in sustainable forestry cultivation - that is what the CODECH Cooperative from Guatemala is known for. Small peasant families protect the tropical rainforest through sustainable, near-natural organic coffee cultivation in mixed culture.
![Hand in Hand Logo Hand in Hand Logo](http://www.rapunzel.de/img/logo-handinhand.png)
This commitment is part of HAND IN HAND, Rapunzel's proprietary, externally certified fair trade program. HAND IN HAND guarantees personal contact at eye level, long-term cooperation and support for local, eco-social projects. HAND IN HAND also promises 100 % best quality organic.
- Small peasant cooperative in Northwest Guatemala
- Nearly 400 members organized in three sub-cooperatives
- Founded in 1998, organically certified since 2007, HAND IN HAND partner since 2021
- Cultivation of Arabica coffee in the Cuchumatanes mountain area
![](http://www.rapunzel.de/img/heldenkaffee_guatemala.jpg)
Cultivation in near-natural mixed culture
In the shade of tropical forest trees, farmer Porfirio Baldemar Velásquez Calmo inspects his coffee plants: he removes shoots, fertilizes the coffee with homemade organic fertilizer, thoroughly removes individual, diseased coffee cherries. With these and many other measures, the coffee farmer keeps his plants healthy. Every year, Porfirio harvests three tons of organic raw coffee from his two hectares of land.
![The CODECH members grow their coffee trees in mixed culture The CODECH members grow their coffee trees in mixed culture](http://www.rapunzel.de/img/kaffeepflanzungen-mischkultur.jpg)
The CODECH members grow their coffee trees in mixed culture
![Coffee farmer Porfirio Baldemar Velásquez Calmo in his forest garden Coffee farmer Porfirio Baldemar Velásquez Calmo in his forest garden](http://www.rapunzel.de/img/porfirio-baldemar-velasquez-calmo.jpg)
Coffee farmer Porfirio Baldemar Velásquez Calmo in his forest garden
![Hero coffee Guatemala, whole beans HAND IN HAND Hero coffee Guatemala, whole beans HAND IN HAND](http://www.rapunzel.de/imgmedia/200/1486250.png)
Hero coffee Guatemala, whole beans HAND IN HAND
Growing their coffee in near-natural mixed culture is essential for the peasants of the Cooperative. Next to coffee plants, these agroforestry systems are therefore home to many other trees such as medlar, banana and avocado trees, different citrus fruits, but also pumpkin and tuberous plants, medicinal herbs, spices and other plants are found there. Sustainable cultivation in combination with fair trade allows the peasant to live permanently of their mixed cultures without having to destroy the forests.
Harvest and processing
The harvest season lasts from December through April. Normally, the peasant families harvest the coffee beans three times at intervals of four to eight weeks. The second harvest is the main harvest. The farmers manually pick the coffee cherries. Subsequently, they remove the pulp of the coffee cherries using small, manually-operated machines. The recovered beans are fermented for two days before they are washed. Some of the beans are kept in water for an additional day.
![](http://www.rapunzel.de/img/kaffeebohnen.png)
![Coffee farmer Candelaria Vargas Escobar dries her coffee beans Coffee farmer Candelaria Vargas Escobar dries her coffee beans](http://www.rapunzel.de/img/candelaria-vargas-escobar.jpg)
Coffee farmer Candelaria Vargas Escobar dries her coffee beans
Year-round advice
Since their organic and fair-trade certification in 2013, CODECH got further impulses for the strengthening of their value added chains through the cooperation with the tropical forest foundation OroVerde. To this end, fair prices for the peasants are equally as important as daily-practiced forest protection.
Additionally to fair prices for their coffe, the members receive social security benefits and a fair-trade premium from Rapunzel's HAND IN HAND program. The local farmers themselves decide on how this premium is used. Rapunzel also supports the small peasant families with the installation of house gardens for their families and with education and training courses - decisive for good future prospects. Several times per year, agricultural advisers visit the members' plots. In addition, the Cooperative offers its members six professional training classes per year.
Fair coffee cultivation gives the families a good income and security and improves their living conditions. Not only the members benefit, but also their immediate surroundings, because CODECH also provides medical support and first aid equipment for the entire community.
More about hero coffe and its heroes
![Getting known to our Coffee Heros Getting known to our Coffee Heros](http://www.rapunzel.de/img/main/heldenkaffee_packungen.jpg)
Getting known to our Coffee Heros