Coffee Growers of San Miguel Escobar
Caficultores de San Miguel Escobar
Located in the Antigua Coffee Growing Region
The history of Antigua Guatemala coffee production goes way back. In the community of San Miguel Escobar, coffee dates back to the mid 19th century. While historically dominated by large plantations, in the early 1990s, small-scale farmers with previous experience working in those plantations began planting their own coffee and carving out a space for themselves in the industry.
The official formation of this cooperative dates back to 2005, when a group of seven coffee farmers were picking and selling their ripened coffee cherries to street vendors who purchased at incredibly low prices, and decided to learn how to process their own coffee. After receiving trainings, they began searching for customers to buy their processed green coffee beans, while also striving to produce the best coffee in Antigua Guatemala.
In efforts to expand their market, they began partnering with De La Gente in 2014, as our first partner cooperative. Since the beginning, these coffee producers set their standards high, which has fostered an exceptional attention to detail in every step of cultivation, harvest, and processing. The 16 cooperative members renewed their values and cooperative commitments at the end of 2021, and in the process, renamed themselves Caficultores de San Miguel Escobar (Coffee Growers of San Miguel Escobar.) They are dedicated to collective growth, innovation, and constant improvement of their coffee’s quality.
Beyond coffee commercialization, the Coffee Growers of San Miguel Escobar play a significant role in carrying out Community Tourism activities in Antigua Guatemala, which also serve as an alternative income for cooperative members’ families. Our signature Antigua Guatemala Coffee Tour, Cooking Class, and Antigua Day Trip — a combination of both tours — are all taught and guided by the Coffee Growers and their families. Cooperative members are also actively involved in facilitating more in depth activities for various DLG Immersion Trips, as the coffee producers themselves share first-hand about their culture, livelihood, customs, and perspective to create transparent and authentic experiences for visitors.
