Cultivating impact
Mercedes comes from a long line of coffee farmers from the community of San Miguel Escobar who has been teaching tourists about his work as a coffee producer for more than 12 years. As he reminisces about his experiences with visitors he says, “tourists come to know how our culture is here in Guatemala,” but “I want tourists to know about everything I do--my work, how it’s done, how it helps generate an income.”
When asked what richness and opportunities coffee has brought to his life, Mercedes explains, “The greatest benefit that coffee has brought my family is that I could build my house and my kids could study, and we are happier.” In the same town lives Eduardo, who also enjoys receiving visitors with whom he shares his family’s coffee story. “My favorite part of the coffee tour is when the time comes to sit down together and drink a cup of coffee, which represents the livelihood of my family.”
Stories like these serve as immense inspiration for us at De La Gente to continue advocating for coffee-growing communities so that more farmers are able to tell their own stories of success. For farmers like Eduardo and Mercedes, their journey includes immense obstacles and setbacks amid the triumphs, which we think are equally important for visitors to grasp. What better person to tell the story--the full story--than the coffee farmer themself?
We take great pride in knowing that our Coffee Tour serves as a platform for coffee farmers to firsthand share their knowledge, expertise, and their own coffee story with participants. “When we have coffee together at the end of the tour, I show the tourists photographs of my family and the town,” explains Eduardo. “I like that people not only know about our work, but that they know and remember ‘Eduardo’ once they’re back home and can say that mine is a story of success and achievement.”
With the vision of our signature coffee tour in mind, we’ve taken the essence of this experience and elongated it into a week-long Immersion Trip, during which trip participants meet with various coffee farmers, delve into the history of coffee in Guatemala, grapple with the political and economic elements of the industry, and indulge in various DLG flavors. Along the way, we personalize the coffee industry and fine tune the conscientious coffee drinker’s appreciation for the product that DLG farmers have dedicated their lives to cultivating.
“Having the experience of this trip gave me an understanding of the hard work and the life of a producer and some understanding of the array of problems they face and solve constantly. Because of this trip, I have an even greater admiration for their work and the quality of their product.” DLG Open Trip Participant.