F2F Volunteers Support Chica Bean in Guatemala

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In Guatemala, one of the strategies of the F2F program is Rural Enterprise Development.  This strategy’s main objective is supporting the development, application, and expansion of commercial and technical agricultural capacities for smallholder farmers and agribusinesses to generate sustainable economic growth.

One of the small entrepreneurships supported through this strategy is Chica Bean, a company located in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas in Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. Chica Bean offers specialty coffee to their clients; they purchase the coffee from a group of ten women coffee growers who live and farm in the small community of San Antonio Las Flores, Mataquesquintla, approximately a 2.5-hour ride from Guatemala City. They pay them fair prices and support them during the production, harvest and postharvest of the coffee.

Chica Bean was established only a year and a half ago, but they have been putting a lot of effort and passion to create an enterprise that supports women in the coffee value chain while generating better opportunities for them and their communities. The Farmer-to-Farmer program has assisted them through three volunteers.


The first volunteer was Karen Rasmussen, who supported them in July and August of 2019. She is a consultant and trainer with experience developing coffee associations and advising companies on creating equal working environments for women and men.

During the assignment, Karen supported Chica Bean with the development of a traceability system to identify the coffee from each farm and lot so they can keep a record of inventory in the processing plant. She also analyzed their processes and information to develop recommendations that will support Chica Bean when creating financial procedures and production protocols that will make them competitive on the specialty coffee market.


The second volunteer was Brian Babcock, who volunteered with Chica Bean in September of 2019. He is a Coffee roasting professional with over 25 years of industry experience, including 14 years in roasting. He has worked in coffee farms in Brazil, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. He is also an Authorized Specialty Coffee Trainer by SCA and a Licensed Q-Grader.

He supported Chica Bean with setting up roasting machines and mechanisms, and developing roasting curves to obtain high-quality coffee. He also trained the staff on roasting protocols and conducted practical trainings with farmers and roasters from the area.

Jennifer Yeatts, the third volunteer, supported Chica Bean in February and March of 2020. She is a barista trainer with more than 20 years of experience. She coordinates international cupping events, has developed SCA-standards-based training curriculums for full-service coffee roasteries and has a lot of experience training baristas in the US and Latin America. Currently, Jennifer is the Director of Coffee from Higher Grounds Trading Co.


During the assignment, Jennifer trained the Chica Bean staff and specially Eleonora Pereira, a barista apprentice with excellent skills. She also adjusted their coffee menu for hot and cold beverages and supported them in developing procedures and protocols for their facilities and new coffee shop.

The support of these three amazing volunteers was vital to improve Chica Bean’s assets. Now they can continue growing and supporting women coffee growers while at the same time generating more employment and better opportunities for Guatemalan women in the agricultural sector.

If you want to support Chica Bean by ordering their coffee, you can do so on their website www.chicabean.com, by paying only $4 for shipping to any address in the US.

If you want to learn more about Chica Bean you can go to their website or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ChicaBeanCoffee/

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