Case Study

Origin Issue Assessment: Guatemala Coffee

As part of the JDE Common Grounds program, the Rainforest Alliance conducted research to identify the top risks in the Guatemalan coffee sector. In 2022, the following risks were identified: child labor, gender equality, climate smart agriculture. In Guatemala, lack of education and high levels of poverty can push children into working before the legal minimum age and cause children to miss school during the harvest season (child labor). Evidence also shows that while women help during the coffee harvest, they do not receive payment for their labor. This is often due to the fact that men are usually the only workers who are registered and paid by coffee farmers (gender equality). Guatemalan farmers are also vulnerable to changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures (climate smart agriculture).