Day 5: Guatemala – Advent Calendar Reveal
Origin: Guatemala
Location: Huehuetenango, Coban, Verapaz, Retalhuleu, San Marcos and Zacapa
Altitude: 1,400–1,800+ meters above sea level
Tasting notes: Dark chocolate, Stone fruit and Caramel
Why Alice and Ben love it: Established in 1969, Fedecocagua is a powerhouse of Guatemalan coffee, representing around 20,000 coffee growers, 70% of whom are Indigenous farmers from regions like Huehuetenango, Cobán, Verapaces, and San Marcos. As Guatemala’s largest coffee exporter, Fedecocagua unites over 150 cooperatives and offers standout microlots - small, carefully separated batches from specific farm areas chosen for their exceptional flavour.
Their main dry mill (the facility that removes the dry, papery outer layer (parchment) from dried coffee beans, then cleans, sorts, and grades them by size, weight, and colour before they are packaged and exported) in Palin handles massive volumes with precision, ensuring every lot is traceable and quality-controlled. They even operate a roastery and tasting lab onsite - the full works!
In Huehuetenango, the warehouse, designed by the founder’s son, is a standout. It’s built with worker wellbeing in mind, offering showers, beds, and even laundry facilities. A water recycling system is soon to be in place, using both rainwater and a dedicated well to keep things green.
Fedecocagua has become a coffee movement. Through collaboration, innovation, and care, they uplift farming communities and bring the very best of Guatemala to your cup. Today’s coffee is a taste of that deep-rooted dedication.
You can Read all about cooperatives here.
Co-operative spotlight? Fedecocagua
(Read all about why a cooperative is here)
Established in 1969, FEDECOCAGUA is a cooperative organization with around 20,000 members. Seventy percent of co-op members are members of indigenous groups from various regions of Guatemala, including Huehuetenango, Cobán, Verapaces, Retalhuleu, San Marcos, and Zacapa. The organisation is made up of over 150 individual co operatives that supply the coffee.
As the main exporter of coffee from Guatemala, Fedecocagua is perfectly position to provide almost everything we need at DRW from speciality microlots to undergrade stocklots via certified main grades. They are the one stop shop for all things Guatemalan. Our commercial relationship with them dates back almost to the beginning of DRW.
Their dry mill is in Palin, one hour south of Guatemala City. Holding capacity here is 350,000 quintales of parchment, and with such volume keeping on top of movements is very important. Each lot is identifiable through an individual code, with volume, cooperative name and delivery date. There are a number of collection points and warehouses in other locations such as Huehuetenango, which allows for the grouping of parchment lots before transporting to the dry mill for final prep and QC.
The Palin facility also has a 15kg Diedrich roaster for adding value to the co-operatives operations, and a cupping lab for QC of lots received and stored. The roastery has opened a new internal market for Fedecocagua.
The Camoja warehouse was designed by Gerardo’s (the head of Fedecocagua) son, and is managed by Don Jose. Being newer, it has showers, lockers, laundry rooms and even beds for the workers, as well as a cupping lab and sound storage for 75,000 bags. There are 10 fulltime staff, including a Q grader. Most of the coffee from Huehue for Fedecocagua comes through this facility. A water recycling facility is in the final stages of being operational, with an on site well providing clean water and rainwater being collected and used for watering plants and grass on the site.
