There was an interesting article in the new issue of Fresh Cup Magazine [no longer available on the web site], Green Power to the People — Alternative energy brings greater independence to coffee growers. It focuses on the 40-family cooperative, the Union of Independent Workers of Alianza Property (STIAP), in Nueva Alianza, located south of Huehuetenango, well west of Lake Atitlan, and more or less in the coffee growing region known as “San Marcos.” In addition to coffee, the co-op grows macadamia nuts. Locally available waste oil and unsellable nuts are used to fuel a biodiesel reactor that helps provide electricity to this remote town. The biodiesel project has been made possible through funding and support by the University of San Carlos, Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Sweetwater Organic Coffee, and Matthew Rudolf, a recent college graduate from North Carolina. What a great partnership!
In addition to the article, you can read more about Comunidad Nueva Alianza at their web site, this blog post, and this Flickr photo set.
Revised on November 14, 2019