Certifying Organic Coffee in Guatemala
by Lisa Maldonado

Home | Agriculture | Coffee | Certifying Organic Coffee

Guatemala -- These days, when we walk into a supermarket, it's becoming more and more common to see products with a seal or symbol, and the word "certified". You have probably seen products which are certified organic-that is, certified to have been grown, processed and packaged without the use of any synthetic chemicals. Organic certification is the longest-standing type of certification in the marketplace today.

Independent third-party organic certification bodies came into being in response to the consumer's need to be able to verify claims made by producers and marketers of organic products, especially food.

These organic certifying bodies inspect organic production and processing systems yearly to verify compliance to a set of standards which can vary slightly depending on the certifying body. Today there are many, many certifiers operating in the organic marketplace. IFOAM is the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. To date, it has over 600 organic organizations and institutions as members in 95 countries, a powerful testimony to the growing momentum of the organic agriculture movement. Today's consumer is voting with his or her money to support agricultural systems which prove via their certified status to be chemical-free.

The largest organic certifier in the world is the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA), with over 40,000 members worldwide in over 30 countries. OCIA has its parent office in Lincoln, Nebraska and is organized into regional Chapters -- one of which is active right here in Guatemala. OCIA is a grass-roots, member-run organization dedicated principally to sharing information. Today, OCIA's Guatemala Chapter has 17 members.

Most of the Guatemalan members are coffee growers. Organic certification for them represents an important selling point. Coffee that is certified organic commands significant premiums over and above the going price. If producers can also claim to grow coffee that is shade-grown, bird-friendly, and gourmet, premiums are even more. With prices as low as they are now, this can mean up to 50% more income for coffee growers. However many if not most farmers in Guatemala are unaware of the existence of these premiums. There is a much greater demand for organic Guatemalan coffee than is currently filled by the certified producers in the country.

This may not be true for organic coffee from other parts of the world. Why? Because Guatemala is one of the only countries which can also claim to produce the finest conventional coffee already. Climates and soils have contributed to Guatemala's being able to boast that its gourmet coffee is the best in the world. And, let's not forget the generations-old wisdom of the coffee processing systems and the hands-on control by growers committed to quality.

OCIA's Chapter office can be reached at 502-331-7877 or 502-331-7921 in Guatemala City. Or, call the Chapter President, Carlos Midence, at 502-331-4305. The chapter welcomes questions and comments, as well as new members.

OCIA's members from around the world meet yearly to update standards and bylaws and share information. Interestingly, OCIA will be holding its next Annual General Membership Meeting right here at the Hotel Antigua, at the end of February 2000.

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