Dedication and Generational Investment — Guatemala (Revisited 1 Year Later)

Devon Barker
Jul 25, 2017 · 4 min read

I always expect things to change, to progress, to be different in a year. Our fast paced lifestyle has naturally ingrained this in my psyche whether I like it or not. With that expectation comes a preconceived notion of what “change” looks like. It looks like better jobs, better healthcare, a strong local economy, etc. A year ago I wrote a quick note (Here) that was really just for me. I used it to rationalize some experiences, express some frustrations and to honor some of the amazing people that came together that made that trip happen. Well it’s a year later and on the surface not a lot has changed. Yepocapa, Guatemala has gotten busier, there’s more construction and it seems like the volcano has picked up a bit but those same Campesinos/Campesinas that we met last trip are still hard at it, working this years crop. This trip i’m in Guatemala shooting @siglofilm (All images frame grabs from the film) and attempting to tell the intricate tail of small-plot coffee farmers and how after years of dedication and passion, their profession is uncertain. Climate impacts, disease, theft and a disinterested younger generation are all immediate threats to coffee farms. Despite this, the dedication I saw last year persists.

How do you portray generations of commitment in a single film?

That’s what I kept asking myself as I try to comprehend the power that this “green gold” commands. The geopolitical spectrum in Guatemala is vast and complicated. Relationships here drive the flow of green gold across the globe while also attempting to support those that are at the core of the supply chain. That was the challenge, to show the Campesino/Campesina’s work as the time-honored profession that it is and how it relates to this intricate network along with the issues they face going forward.

1.The first obstacle bearing down on small-plot farmers is the spread of La Roya. This particularly nasty fungus attacks the leafs of the coffee trees and not only decreases yields but ultimately kills the tree. Farmers fight this using all sorts of methods but central to their strategy is using hardy varietals and up keeping the soil quality to keep the tree hardy.

This Roya stripped coffee tree is barely holding on to its last three leaves.

2. With coffee consumption projected to rise by 46% within the next 15 years, the question of “who will be next?” has to be raised. Similar to the shift from agriculture in the USA, Guatemala faces it’s own generational migration to alternative professions and to the city.

Jorge is an exception. Both in his chosen field and in his incredible work ethic. Young dedicated Campesino’s like him are hope that interest in coffee can be revived.

3. The Commodity Market (C-Market) value of coffee impacts global investors and is used as the primary guide for determining differentials when pricing green coffee. However, c-market prices and their shifts impact more than investors and the bottom line of farmers. Shifts can also increase or decrease local coffee theft. All of the Campesino/Campsina’s here have experienced issues with Ladrones (robbers) that either steal coffee directly or threaten the farmers and their families lives directly when the market value of coffee increases.

There were three that were waiting for me there. At the entrance of my little land. So I was leaving and didn’t realize what was happening because they were hidden. I realized when I felt the pistol to my face and the two others came out with machetes. They said “we are are here because you owe us something.” I thought to myself “what motive do they have because I don’t owe anyone.” But that’s how it is…But I didn’t know, and they told me today they were going to kill me. Ok good I said “If God permits it, kill me.” But then they changed their form and said that if I was in agreement with them they wouldn’t kill me. “If you can be in agreement with us that you owe 20,000Q ($2700) we won’t kill you”. ~ Campesino asked to remain anonymous.

I kept asking how this could be possible without someone doing something about it, but of course when you have a four-man police force in a province of 30,000+ people their resources are stretched pretty thin already. I talked with the Campesinos/Campesinas about what can be done and all agree that it’s a difficult problem but there are two ways to combat this.

  1. Government intervention and organizing with the military to add the farms to the patrol routes. This works when there are roads nearby that the military trucks can travel on
  2. Form a “community watch” where Campesinos/Campesinas visit the lands on rotaion in the hopes of deterring theft. The issue here is of course safety and the potential violence if stumbing upon a theft in progress.
Terrenos (Small Coffee Farms) are prime targets for Ladrones if near roads or major trails that go to larger Fincas.

It’s true that at first look, nothing has changed, we still enjoy the same Guatemalan coffees that we’ve enjoyed for decades. However pull back some of the hype and social endeavors that surround the coffee industry and I’m left in awe that these Campesino/Campesina’s persevere; Impacts of climate change, upcoming socio-economic crisis, and desperation on the verge violence…no nothing has changed here, situation all normal.

Read and see more on my Blog at http://ramblingcanvas.com/

Devon Barker

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Adventure Photog | Climber | Wannabe Rigger | Overlanding Addict | CO Born

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