BALTIMORE—Lutheran World Relief has initiated partnerships with two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fund projects in Guatemala supporting coffee and cocoa farmers located in the North-Northwest regions of the country, specifically in the departments of Alta Verapaz and Quiché.
The Guatemalan NGO FundaSistemas is implementing a project in Verapaz, Guatemala to strengthen the competitiveness of community organizations serving small-scale cocoa producers by increasing the participation of youth.
The Coffee Trust (TCT), an American NGO that does work in Guatemala, is carrying out a project in the Quiché department’s Ixil area, located in the country’s western highlands, that will strengthen access to livelihoods for increased food security and improved coffee production.
Both organizations have extensive experience and good reputations in their respective programmatic sectors. The projects are located in areas of extreme poverty and are expected to have a major in the region. The year-long projects were officially launched at events during the first week of March, but operations started on Jan. 1
