Entre Nubes Origin
The Origin Entre Nubes is produced by a collective under the name FEDECOVERA. Located in the north of Guatemala, FEDECOVERA is a federation of cooperatives, or a second-level cooperative, founded in 1976. It is made up of 42 first-level cooperatives, which in turn are composed of small producers. Consequently, FEDECOVERA is owned by small producers organised in first-level cooperatives, making our business model unique as it integrates social, economic, environmental, and inclusive sustainability.
Entre Nubes means ‘Between Clouds,’ which reflects the meaning of Cobán and its region in Alta Verapaz—a lush territory nestled between mountains and clouds.
Story behind the cacao beans
FEDECOVERA recognised the great potential of Guatemalan cacao beans, especially from the region where we are located (northern Guatemala). Based on their philosophy, they embarked on a major effort with the technical team that took over five years. The process began by evaluating the plantations and identifying the best materials, followed by organising small farmers and encouraging them to improve their agricultural practices and, in some cases, get involved in the organic programme.
As a result of these efforts, small producers in the region willing to join the programme became part of the Alianza Cooperative, R.L., through which they organise the production of this crop using environmentally responsible practices. In addition to receiving continuous support from FEDECOVERA, including technical assistance, access to organic agricultural inputs, credit, health services, and ongoing training, added value was achieved in the supply chain by promoting fairer conditions for small farmers, improving quality control, and guaranteeing full traceability.
Type of environment : The cacao tree is grown in the tropics in a band between 10°C-20°C north and south of the equator. The Cacao Bean is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of cacao tree fruit.
Region : Alta Verapaz
Land size : 267 hectares
Cacao Trees : 27ha de cacao
Ownership : 2 level Organisation - Each farmer has a vote in their cooperative and each cooperative has a vote in FEDECOVERA
Workers : 33,000 family producers within 43 cooperatives and over 120 associations.
250-300m
Altitude
27 ha
Cacao Trees
33,000
Workers
267 ha
Land Size
Land Stewardship
The cacao trees of the small associated producers contain ancestral genetic material originating from Mayan culture, producing a finely aromatic cacao bean, which we call “Acriollado” due to its unique blend of Creole and Trinidadian beans from the pod. These beans are cultivated under an agroforestry system with an organic approach. The cacao plantations are integrated with forest spices of high commercial value, which guarantees better income for the producers and a positive impact on biodiversity conservation.
Origin Development
FEDECOVERA has its origins in the Q’eqchi’ and Poqomchi’ cultures, which are part of the Ancestral Mayan civilisation. Since 1976, FEDECOVERA’s mission has been to help its farmers improve their living conditions while always respecting and protecting their culture. All of FEDECOVERA’s producers are Q’eqchi’ or Poqomchi’ and speak their native languages.
Their working methods are inspired by Mayan culture: the way they cultivate the land and care for nature are integral parts of our history. They are committed to paying attention to the environment and providing farmers with the tools to protect the gifts we received thousands of years ago.
Thank You Entre Nubes Origin!
