- 200 coffee producers located in Huehuetenango and Baja Verapaz have received loans for working capital through the alliance between MOCCA and Fundación Génesis Empresarial.
- MOCCA is a 7-year initiative funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Food for Progress Program, which seeks to improve agricultural productivity and expand trade in agricultural products. The MOCCA project is being executed by a consortium led by TechnoServe.
Huehuetenango is a department located in the northwestern region of Guatemala, approximately 264 kilometers from the capital city. The climate in Huehuetenango is varied and has a topography of mountains and peaks that exceed 3,850 meters above sea level.
The economy of Huehuetenango is based on regional agriculture, which includes a diversity of crops such as sugar cane, tobacco, chilis, coffee, and a variety of fruits.
In Guatemala, MOCCA and Olam food ingredients (ofi), a global provider of sustainable food ingredients and solutions, have established a partnership that provides technical training and access to markets to more than 5,500 coffee producers in Huehuetenango, helping them improve their productivity and profitability.
Natividad Sales is a 48-year-old woman from the municipality of San Pedro Necta, who participates in MOCCA and ofi’s support program for coffee growers in Huehuetenango.
Like other Guatemalan coffee producers, Natividad has faced difficulties growing her farm, due to limitations in accessing loans for working capital.
“When I started producing coffee more than 5 years ago, I had no money to invest in my farm and the plants were weak and sick”, says Natividad.
In 2020, through MOCCA and ofi, Natividad Sales was awarded a loan for US$650 by Genesis Entrepreneurship Foundation , an organization that has made US$10 million available to finance coffee and cocoa producers in the MOCCA program with the purpose of having them invest in their farms.
“I needed money to buy fertilizers, but I didn’t know where or how to apply for financing. MOCCA and ofi supported me throughout the process so that thanks to Genesis Entrepreneurship Foundation I was awarded a US$650 loan to invest in inputs for my farm”.
Natividad Sales, Coffee producer
Huehuetenango, Guatemala
As of September 2022, MOCCA has used its partnership with Genesis Entrepreneurship Foundation to facilitate access to financing of more than US$388,000 for 200 Guatemalan coffee producers in Huehuetenango and Baja Verapaz.
In Guatemala, MOCCA has built partnerships with buyers and other organizations through which it will train more than 17,500 coffee producers (40% women), providing integration into higher value markets, technical assistance, research, access to quality genetic material, and the promotion of catalytic financing models.
Acerca de
ofi
Olam food ingredients (ofi) is a new operating group born out of Olam International. Ofi offers sustainable, natural and value-added food products and ingredients so that consumers can enjoy the healthy and flavorful products they love. It consists of Olam’s industry-leading cocoa, coffee, edible nuts, spices, and dairy businesses.
Ofi has developed a unique presence in the global value chain that includes its own farms, manufacturing facilities and farm origination. Ofi partners with customers, leveraging its complementary and differentiated portfolio of “on-trend” food products, to co-create solutions that anticipate and meet changing consumer preferences as the demand for healthier, more traceable and sustainable foods increases.
Olam International is headquartered and listed in Singapore and is currently among the 30 largest primary listed companies in terms of market capitalization on SGX-ST.
Fundación Génesis Empresarial
Genesis Entrepreneurship Foundation provides access to expedited and timely financing, complementing capacity building and access to genetic material for coffee and cocoa producers in the MOCCA program. FGE has made available US$10 million to benefit 11,000 producers so that they may acquire working capital and purchase inputs and equipment with medium-term investments for the farms.
