Every Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month – a time to honor the histories, contributions and diverse cultures of Hispanic and Latin communities in the United States and beyond. What better lens through which to see these legacies than one of the most beloved global beverages – coffee.
Coffee, which is not native to the Americas, originated in Ethiopia before making its way to the Arabian Peninsula and eventually the rest of the world. In the 18th century, coffee spread across the Caribbean and Latin America, eventually becoming one of the major export crops and economic drivers of many Hispanic nations.
Over the centuries, Hispanic cultures have shaped unique coffee traditions from Cuban café Cubano and Puerto Rican café con leche to Mexican cafetales and Andean Mountain farms. Behind every cup lies a complex social, economic and cultural history – one of resilience and innovation.
Farmer Brothers is proud to work with a number of Hispanic producers and cooperatives around the world, including Aromas del Valle, or the Aprocassi Cooperative, Asociación de Apicultores y Caficultores de Union Cantinil (AAPICUC) and Asociación de Apicultores y Caficultores (AAPICAFI), all of which provide coffee for our Sum>One Coffee Roasters specialty brand.
Aromas del Valle
Located in the productive areas between 1,000 and 2,300 meters above sea level within the provinces of Jaén, San Ignacio, Cutervo and Utcubamba in Peru, Aromas del Valle began in 2015 and has evolved into a cooperative with solid and sustainable foundations. The Agrarian Cooperative is made up of almost 600 families, with an annual harvest of more than 1,300 producing hectares and yielding more than 33,000 hectares of parchment coffee.
Its work is based on democracy, loyalty and environmental stewardship, contributing to the socioeconomic development of its producers and fostering a participatory social identity within their families. The organization promotes sustainable coffee growth with access to credit, equipment, reforestation and support for young producers. It works with Agrobanco, Agroideas and state partners to strengthen every stage of the production process.
AAPICUC and AAPICAFI
The AAPICUC, whose membership includes more than 100 small regional producers, was founded in 2013 to help cultivate organic coffee in an environmentally-sustainable way. Its members include both coffee producers and beekeepers from the Huehuetenango region of Guatemala.
Although coffee trees are self-pollinating, meaning they don’t require bees or birds to help them pollinate, these small producers found a sustainable way to incorporate both of their passions to achieve the best results. As it turns out, bees can help increase total coffee production by as much as 20% to 25%.
The AAPICAFI, whose names translates to the Association of Beekeepers and Coffee Growers, includes 24 small Guatemala coffee and honey producers. Its goal is to preserve the environment before, during and after each harvest. The AAPICAFI works to promote the continued development and growth of families within the association including the social, cultural, economic and marketing aspects of their product.
AAPICUC and AAPICAFI growers are both Organic and Fair Trade certified, with Organic premiums being used to provide sustainable practices, such as the renovation or installation of wastewater pits and the use of cow and sheep manure as fertilizers, as well as training programs to improve the management and operational skills of their members. Fair Trade premiums are dedicated to community development and include the delivery of basic food packages to promote healthy diets and the implementation of a waste collection program. In addition, the AAPICAFI also offers incentives and educational workshops to encourage more women to participate in the farming and administrative aspects of coffee growing.