Primavera Coffee Launches Fund for Guatemalan Farmers Affected by COVID

The Primavera team with some farmer partners, pre-pandemic. Images courtesy of Primavera Coffee.

Guatemalan coffee specialist Primavera Coffee has launched a temporary relief fund to assist coffee producers suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coffee trading company says the fund grew out of a video interview series with coffee farmers from the Huehuetenango region who shared their struggles dealing with higher costs for things like farm inputs and transportation costs. Meanwhile, demand for specialty coffee in some cases has decreased, according to Primavera.

Working with nonprofit partner The Chain Collaborative and purchasing local goods when possible, Primavera is purchasing food baskets for distribution throughout Huehuetenango through the end of September. The coffee company is matching all contributions during that period.

In Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

Said Primavera, “Our hope that with this help is that we can provide over 200 coffee producers with relief from short-term food insecurity, and enable these producers to free up their resources for other critical needs.”

Primavera has established a Gofundme campaign for the fund. As of this writing nearly $1,300 had been raised.