Our producers in Huehuetenango about COVID-19
WE MADE A VIDEO SERIES GIVING THE MIC TO OUR PRODUCERS SO THAT THEY CAN SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT COVID-19.
As a Guatemalan coffee exporter and importer, our reality changed overnight due to COVID-19. Back in March - our client visits and origin trips were suddenly cancelled, we had to revise our buying for the year and our coffee roaster partners were worried about their futures. But despite all this, relationships go on. We are still able to communicate with our incredible team on the ground in Huehuetenango and our producer partners. Now, more than ever, it’s important to listen and learn from each other.
That’s why we put together this video interview series, in which coffee producers in our supply chain share their stories and tell us about how COVID-19 is impacting them. The virus has not sickened many Guatemalans due to strong government curfews and travel restrictions, but it has impacted their lives deeply - making it harder to maintain their farms and forcing farmers into financially difficult situations. A lot of this information isn’t being amplified in the wider coffee world yet, so this is our way of getting these stories out there.
Our agronomy team shot these videos on their cell phones with some of our producers in Huehuetenango. They aren’t the kind of beautiful videos or photos you normally see on a coffee company’s social media - but they are real, honest communication that we want to promote during this crisis. These are our suppliers, coffee growing partners who have worked with us for years, sharing their thoughts, opinions, and stories about their work and how COVID-19 is changing their lives.
You can watch their interviews here. we hope you enjoy them!