I’m such a gringa that I take a cab from Antigua to Guatemala City. In my defense, I had to leave the colorful streets of Antigua, where I was staying for the duration of my first trip to coffee origin, at some crazy early hour. My host, Roukiat Delrue Morel, who directs barista programs for Anacafé, the Guatemalan specialty coffee association, had a big day planned for me.

She’d been wonderful thus far, meeting me in Antigua on my first day to take me to visit Jhonni Gonzalez, the 2006 Guatemala Barista Champion, and tour the farm where he works as an espresso trainer. Roukiat has been busy training Jhonni for the World Barista Championship taking place in Bern, Switzerland, in May, not only in his espresso and cappuccino skills, but in his English-speaking abilities, too.

Rouki, as I came to call her, is nothing if not meticulous. Once I emailed her about my interest in visiting Anacafé during my trip to Guatemala in late January, she planned a day’s worth of activities, which would take me to every corner of the massive but welcoming offices of Anacafé.

Established in 1959 by an act of Congress, Anacafé’s primary work is defending the interests of more than 65,000 coffee producers. But given the association’s involvement in countless other areas of specialty coffee—from organizing well-attended barista events, to hosting coffee education classes filled to capacity every weekend, to sustaining what is considered the most comprehensive, informative and reliable association member publication, El Cafetal, in the world, it’s obvious that Anacafé defines defending the interest of coffee producers by involving itself in and educating the public about every link in the seed to cup chain.

Did I mention that membership to Anacafé is free?

The organization’s board of directors is primarily determined by election though broken into factions by vocation within specialty coffee so that each connection from producer to barista is represented on the board. It is comprised of 12 private producers who are each elected to two-year terms; four cooperative representatives, also elected every two years; two appointed officers of the Coffee Council; and two directors appointed by the President of Guatemala.

For a country that is slightly smaller than the state of Tennessee, Anacafé’s outreach abilities are extraordinary. Members are encouraged to utilize not only the main offices in Guatemala City, with an extensive cupping lab, a soil and leaf analysis lab, a well-equipped espresso training lab, and a large roastery, where coffees from the seven regions Anacafé promotes individually are roasted, but also the seven—count ’em seven—regional offices throughout the country. These smaller bureaus offer technical assistance and extension services, market information, Internet access, cupping labs, and more to Guatemalan coffee producers. And I mean any Guatemalan coffee producer because, did I mention? Membership to Anacafé is free.

Immediately upon arriving, I’m taken with the colorful marketing campaign displayed on every wall featuring the seven Guatemalan regions: Volcanic San Marcos, Traditional Atitlán, Rainforest Cobán, New Oriente, Highland Huehue, Frijanes Plateau, and Antigua Coffee. I ask where the coffees can be purchased and am told that Anacafé’s coffees are used strictly for marketing and promotional purposes. That means they will never compete for sales against other Guatemalan coffee retailers. Anacafé’s beans are sold only at Anacafé headquarters and in a small shop in the airport that is only accessible to passengers leaving Guatemala, therefore without the option of purchasing coffee from a farmer or co-op.

I am awed by the consideration that goes into both the biggest and the seemingly smallest decisions at Anacafé. But obviously, whatever they’re doing, it’s working. Anacafé is overseeing a comeback in Guatemalan coffee exports that no one would have believed back in 2000 when the country as a whole suffered economic destitution. Where Guatemalan coffees were generating close to $600 million U.S. annually in 1999, the number dropped to a mere $250 million in 2001. Now income is back up, currently at around $470 million and continuing to rise.

Not only is Anacafé taking care of members’ interests by affording them a solid, consistent and user-friendly marketing campaign, but the labs and education are working, too. Even in light of the financial crisis, 61 percent of Guatemalan coffee exports are Strictly Hard Bean—the best of the best.

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