Tinamit Toliman
Income Diversification Project
Tinamit Tolimán is an association based in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala, primarily focused on the production and commercialization of coffee. Coffee plays a crucial role in the local economy, as 90% of families in the region depend on the crop as a primary source of income. Since Tinamit Tolimán's establishment, they have been committed to ensuring a dignified quality of life for their coffee-farming members, and promoting care for the natural environment.
Starting in 2024, Primavera has supported Tinamit Tolimán’s participation in a two-year Community-Led Development Incubator. This innovative program is operated by The Chain Collaborative, a US-based non-profit, who train local leaders in coffee communities on program development and management, using a project of their own visions for change.
Tinamit has designed a pisciculture project to improve the livelihoods of its members through the development of an alternative income source. The initiative focuses on constructing tanks to raise tilapia and other fish, which, in addition to generating additional income for the association, will also contribute to greater food security in the region.
Following the 2025 harvest, Tinamit Tolimán plans to build a warehouse and office space to store materials for the fish, and to house the fish themselves once they’ve matured and are ready for sale. This will also create a new job for one of their members, who will be trained in raising and caring for the fish.
“We will succeed as a community by continuing to work together, upholding the founding principles of our cooperative and ensuring sustainable wellbeing for all.”