Buena Tierra was founded in 2018 in the aftermath of the devastating eruption of Guatemala’s Volcán de Fuego, one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.

The eruption claimed hundreds of lives, displaced thousands of people, destroyed homes and infrastructure, and severely impacted coffee-growing communities by damaging farms, livelihoods, and local economies.

In response to this crisis, Buena Tierra was established as part of a long-term recovery and resilience initiative to restore hope and create opportunities for affected families.

Today, they continue to empower farmers by providing ongoing technical and business training, introducing improved coffee varieties, facilitating access to agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, and promoting sustainable farming practices that strengthen both livelihoods and long-term resilience.

In addition to supporting coffee production, they process coffee using a range of specialty methods, including washed, natural, honey, and anaerobic fermentation. By experimenting with innovative processing techniques, they develop distinctive flavor profiles that create opportunities to introduce their coffees to diverse specialty markets around the world.

They also oversee the dry milling process, ensuring that every lot is prepared to meet international export standards. By managing quality from harvest through processing and dry milling, they maintain traceability, consistency, and the exceptional quality expected by specialty coffee buyers, while making it easier for producers’ coffees to reach international markets.

Recognizing the need for a lasting solution beyond emergency relief, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Good Neighbors Guatemala, and Juan José joined forces to establish Buena Tierra. What began as a recovery initiative has grown into a social enterprise dedicated to empowering smallholder coffee producers, strengthening resilient communities, and creating sustainable economic opportunities for future generations.