Guatemala – Erika Sanchez

Erika Sanchez is the owner of 2.5 hectares of land in the San Antonio Huista area of Huehuetenango. The farm, La Montaña, is planted with Caturra, Bourbon and Pache, and sits at 1700 masl.

Erika is part of the Red de Mujeres, or ‘network of women’ in English, a large group of female coffee producers (830 women) covering five different areas of Huehuetenango. Within the entire community of women there are 8 different Mayan languages spoken, highlighting the diversity of culture and language in this area of Guatemala. All of these women have been either widowed during the 36 years of civil war in Guatemala, or were left when their husbands fled the country during the coffee crisis between 2001 and 2004. These female producers have been united to market their coffee and find international buyers.

Erika manages her farm using organic fertiliser which she produces onsite. She doesn’t use any chemical inputs and has diversified the other crops she grows on the land to safeguard for a sustainable future. The fermentation method she uses is fairly unique and is now been passed on to other members. Erika lets the coffee dry ferment for a longer period of time in controlled conditions in order to accentuate the fruity characteristics in the cup. That’s why this coffee gives you an extravagant combination of sweetness and acidity reminiscent of kombucha, followed by notes of citrus and tamarind. This particular aromatic profile also express itself very well in espresso roasting, especially in milk-based drinks (both regular and vegetable).