Guatemala La Voz Atitlan
Process: Wahsed
Variety: Tipica, Bourbon
Certifications: Organic
La Voz Que Clama en el Desierto is a cooperative in San Juan La Laguna, on the southwestern shore of Guatemala's Lake Atitlán. More commonly referred to as La Voz, the co-op's full name translates to “The Voice that Cries out in the Desert” — a reference to San Juan’s patron saint, St. John the Baptist, who the Bible tells stories of preaching in the desert.
La Voz was created by a handful of young families in the late 1970s. Because the law dictated that a cooperative must be a minimum of 25 people, each farmer also registered his wife, to help meet the quota. They were determined to improve their quality of life, and life in their town, and they began embracing organic principles. La Voz became certified Organic in 1993, and today ut has at least 161 members, 61 of whom are women. (That the 61 women own their own land is a rarity in Guatemala.)