The coffee plant comes from Ethiopia, today The Republic of Yemen. It is easily confused with the origin of coffee, because the old legends on the cultivation and the custom of drinking coffee come from Saudi Arabia. One of the oldest writings that make reference to the coffee is called the success of coffee, written by a single man originating from the Mecca at the beginning of the 15th century, called Abu-Bek. The stronger and most accepted legend of coffee and the beverage of coffee is referred to a pastor called Kaldi. As the story recounts, Kaldi realized the strange behavior of their goats after they had eaten the leaves and fruit of a certain shrub. The goats jumped very excited and were full of energy.
Kaldi ate one of the leaves of shrub, and after a while he was full of energy. After that he took some fruits and leaves of this shrub to a monastery. There told him to the Abbot the history of the goats and how he had felt after eating the leaves. He told the Abad the story and he started cooking branches and cherries, and the result was a drink very bitter that he tossed immediately to the fire. When the cherries fell in the coal and began to boil, the green peas inside the fruit produced a delicious aroma that gave the Abad the idea to make a drink based on the roasted bean, and do seem born beverage we know today.
1.2 Dispersion of consumption and cultivation.
The Arabs were the first ones to discover the virtues and the economic potential of coffee. They developed throughout the process of cultivation and the processing of the coffee bean and kept the secret. The Arabs also attempted to avoid being robbed this knowledge or extradite the seed of the coffee.
The coffee began to conquer territory in the world as the favorite drink in Europe, and arrived in Italy in 1645, thanks to a Venetian merchant was called Pietro della Valle. England began to drink coffee in 1650 thanks to the trader Daniel Edwards, who was the first who opened an establishment for the sale of coffee in England and in Europe.
Coffee came to France through the Port of Marseille. In 1660 some traders on the port who knew of coffee, its attributes and effects by their travel around the world, decided to carry a few sacks from Egypt and in around 1661 opened the first coffee shop in Marseille.
History points at Soliman Aga, ambassador of Persia in Paris during the reign of Louis XIV, as the first to introduce the coffee in the monarchy and the high French society. The first coffee shop in Paris was open to the public in 1672 by Pascal Armenian in the traditional Saint German avenue. A Sicilian name Procopio opened another shop similar near the one mentioned above, where many of the best Parisian society members gather to the try the exquisite taste of coffee. In 1689 Procopio moved his coffee shop to a place near the Theater of the French Comedy where it prospered was well known throughout Paris.
2. History of the cultivation of Coffee in Guatemala
2.1 Early Plantations
Coffee was introduced to Guatemala in the year 1770 by the Jesuit priests, who brought as ornamental plant for their gardens of the convents in the city of Antigua Guatemala. It spread to other places such as the Ranch of Soyate, Jutiapa, etc. The first record of coffee in planting dates from 1800, probably the commercial planting was born from the coffee of Soyate.
In November 1803, by royal order, the cultivation of coffee was granted an exemption from any tithes imposed, also the production of cocoa, sugar and cotton were benefited. These agreements are confirmed and expanded in 1805 and 1807: The fruit of the coffee is relieved of the payment of tithes and taxes. In 1826 this measure was regulated included coffee as an exonerated crop. In 1835, there is a important step for the promotion of coffee, in the decree of October 1 states that it will give 200 pesos to the first farmer who reap 100 quintals of coffee, 100 to the second, third and fourth. This law motivates that a good number of ranchers, in different areas of the country devote their efforts to its cultivation. From 1860, large farms arise devoted to the cultivation of coffee in the departments of Guatemala, Sacatepequez, Suchitepequez, Retalhuleu, Escuintla, Alta Verapaz, Jutiapa and Quetzaltenango. The opening of the Interoceanic Railroad in Guatemala, in 1908, had a major impact on trade with its marketing.
The technological advances, incorporated in agriculture and livestock farming in Guatemala have come to modernize and improve all exports. The cultivation of coffee in Guatemala was a challenge, since its introduction, establishment and development brought a struggle by opening new frontiers for agriculture, mainly in the foothills of mountains, volcanoes and ravines.
2.2 Coffee Exports
coffee exports were directed, in principle, to supplement the income of the producers of cochineal. The diversification avoided the risks of monoculture of export. The records indicate that the first to export a large amount of coffee was in 1858, with 468 quintals of coffee gold, that generated an income of 4.680 pesos. Since 1870 coffee became the main export product, with an income for the country of 1, 440.707 Pesos. In 1885 Guatemala became the first world exporter of coffee, with an export of 529.751 quintals of coffee gold, with a value of 6, 880.599 silver Pesos.
At the beginning of the twentieth century there were fluctuations on exports due to the erratic nature of the world market, however, the main product of national exports continued to be the coffee, because products such as the banana whose exports did not benefit Guatemala, because it could not be taxed due to a concession in 1904. However, there was an incipient diversification of economic activity in the industrial sector like the breweries and soft drinks of the Castillo Brothers company, factories of Novella cement company, and factories in textiles as Cantel and Mont-Blanc in Quetzaltenango. This industrialization was supplemented with the arrival of British American Tobacco C , which established the National Tobacco, S.A. , and the footwear industry INCATECU, linked to the company Czechoslovak Bata.
Despite the fact that the crisis in the 1930S affected the Guatemalan economy, exports declines were relatively minimal. The export of coffee year 1930-1931 was 784.723 quintals coffee gold, decreasing 3 percent from the previous year, the greatest recorded so far, with a total of 1, 232.824 quintals coffee gold. However, its lowest level was the export registered in the fiscal year 1932-1933, with a total of 765.605 quintals coffee gold. The following years showed an increase that, did not reach again the volume exported 1929-1930, at least not until the year 1951-1952.
During the decade of the 40´s and 50´s, the coffee continued as the main export product along with the banana in a distant second place and the gum in third. During the military regimes in the 60´s, and mainly in the 70´s, agricultural products that did not generate a high percentage in respect to the entry of foreign exchange, began to have a predominant role. Such are the cases of sugar, addressed to the u.s. market, which divides the quota which previously had Cuba, livestock also addressed to the u.s. market, cotton and cardamom.
During subsequent years, the main characteristic of coffee exports would be a series of fluctuations that will made the export of coffee a difficult process of prediction. A crucial factor in the explanation of this phenomenon was the international competition. Since the 19th century countries like Brazil and Colombia were competitors with a great ability to influence the price of grain. Recently appeared a third competitor powerful, not only by the quality produced, but by the low costs with which produces: Vietnam. For the exercise cafetero 1999-2000, Vietnam ahead for the first time to Colombia as a second producer in the world, that throughout the decade has been declining exports.
3. The Crisis in Coffee
3.1 Why arises the crisis?
The so-called Coffee crisis comes from an abundance of grains in the world market, and this has made the payment that receive farmers reached its lowest level, which not only this increasing poverty, but also could have serious environmental consequences, because farmers transform their coffee farms of shadow in pastures or other monocultures which do not provide shelter for wildlife. The shortage of jobs by the coffee crisis has also helped that there is a forced migration toward the outside. In fact, it can involve the coffee crisis to the emigration of Guatemalan population and to their work on the outside generate, according to estimates by the end of 2005, a total income to the country of 3.000 million, becoming the item stronger of revenue in the country.
1.2 3.2 The World Market
The world coffee market has always been volatile, with the last fall in prices drastically was in the 1990S s, but now is particularly severe, with prices as low as 30 years ago. When markets were strong, the quintal of coffee cost around 120.00 USD. Currently, the quintal not reaches 50.00 USD. The causes of the abundance of grain are complicated, but according to a study by Oxfam, an agency for international aid, the main reasons are the new technologies that give plants with a higher yield, and a higher production in countries such as Vietnam, where the production increased by 400 per cent during the last decade.
In Guatemala, the total exports of coffee is almost half of what was two years ago; for decades the coffee has been the leader of exports. Around 700.000 families, or 20 per cent of the population, has work related to coffee. The National Association of Coffee (ANACAFE) estimates that up to now the country has lost around 300 million dollars in profits and that this would probably increase.
In Central America, the organizations of the coffee industry have been asked to be retained the grain, for that raise prices, so similar to what they do all the nations of the OPEC until the oil prices rise. But Torres, the ICADE doubt that this has greater long-term impact and as indicates Bollen, small producers in Guatemala, have no alternative but to send their grains in the market, because it is all they have to sell.
The booms and bonanza of coffee have given to Guatemala also their best moments of economic growth, while their low points coincide with stages recessions of the global economy. Therefore, this crisis is something that we all.
3.3 Effect of the fall of the price of Coffee
3.3.1 The situation in the lowlands of the Brocacosta and Noroxidente
lowlands, i.e. those that are less than 1000 meters SNM (the south Quetzaltenango and San Marcos, Santa Rosa and the lowlands of the municipalities of Santa Cruz Barillas and Democracy), are own for the cultivation of varieties premium, extra premium, good washing and extra good washing, although it was noted that the latter two varieties are leaving from cultivation. According to the information that account ANACAFE, 80 per cent of farms cultivated varieties premium and extra premium.
The territory of these farms is wavy, the harvest can be divided up into four cuts in different times, and until the harvest 1999-2000 employment manpower for each of the cuts. The approximate number of employed workers, only for the tasks of harvest was 43.200 people in 23 estates. For the harvest 2000-2001 the recruitment of workers in the large estates and medium of the mouth south coast, in the best of the cases, was 50 less than the previous harvest.
It is important to note that in the activities required for the pre, were made recruitment of labor in only three farms; however, it is not covered the total apples grown since the recruitment of labor declined by 87 per cent, or, that there was work for a proportion of 13 percent of the workers hired for the previous harvest.
The trends and developments more important than presented growers' medium and large lowland traditional are as follows:
Not to lift harvest. This trend tends to disappear, because the supply of labor remains and can be contracted at extremely low prices.
Do not make work of pre. Indeed, this trend is widespread and, in accordance with the ANACAFE, there should be, because it does not do so means perceive lost for the coming years.
Reduce the work of pre because of the price at which you buy the grain.
Sell the future harvest to other farms that enjoy better economic position.
To lift the harvest, to only 50 per cent of the hired labor for the preceding period.
The recruitment of labor could not be done to the mimos price to be had for the previous harvest; the price of jornal be estimated in reason to the sale price.
The 90 per cent of farms studied shows problems for the provision of credit.
The critical situation that exists in the region south west has caused 3 suicides in the year 2001 as recount growers of the area.
The 70 percent of the workers fixed from the farms has requested the employer payment of their retirement benefits, and has indicated its intention to migrate to the United States.
There discontent in the labor organizations by unjustified dismissals and the failure of the judgments in the field work by employers.
2 For the first trend, not to lift the harvest is important to note that such a mode is being replaced by the sixth trend recruit the labor force as the price of coffee market; the latter trend occurs under the need to work with people in the region and temporary workers that all the years fall of the high lands, as happens in Huehuetenango.
In previous harvests, farmers had access to capital investment for the actions of pre and harvest, but now have preferred not to invest more, either by the gloomy outlook which does not guarantee the return of the investment, or by banks and local lenders have been denied credit or provides a high rate of interest. In addition, give them the appropriations for periods of monthly depreciation that are impossible to meet; moreover, found that 30 per cent of farms studied are mortgaged which makes it difficult a credit operation on the property. The 90 percent of the coffee growers felt that it was better losing everything that continue borrowing.
3.3.2 The situation in the highlands and half high
Land means high are located above the 1000, until the 1300 feet SNM. are considered appropriate for the cultivation of coffee and semi professional.
There are also traditional farms that grow grains semi which, chose not to engage the workforce in the conditions of the previous season, so that it is hoped that the forms of barter or sale of the fruit in kills are widely more or less 400 estates in the area of Colomba. Farms that have wavy areas have opted to enable soils for pasture, which means cutting down forest without measure the consequences of a future ecological disaster. In the highlands of Huehuetenango grow grains drives, and strictly hard; as for the extension of trend of the crop, 40 per cent belongs to a single family, while the remaining 60 per cent is divided between large, medium and very small, matching the smallest portion of land to the small and microparcelarios.
Are considered alternatives before the crisis affecting the coffee, associations that clump small and medium producers, because these are some possibilities to resist before the crisis; Asobagri , for example exported coffee through the market just , without intermediaries. Within their plans this increase production of organic coffee and certificate, as well as provide their partners training in administrative issues that will enable them to optimize its operating costs.
The vision that have the organizations of small and medium producers, is to place markets without regard to the agencies traditional marketers. The traditional market is moving toward the traditional coffee growers are characterized by its isolation, or a between relatives.
The solution for a better future not found in large producers, if not in organizations of small and medium producers already mentioned, which would allow the grain sold in the traditional market begins to determine the price of grain in the fair market and new markets.
