The history of coffee in Guatemala / Regina Wagner ; direction and coordination, William H. Hempstead ; design and edition, Benjamín Villegas; general photography and re-photography, Cristóbal von Rothkirch ; [translation, Eric Stull].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wagner, Regina.

Contributor:

Hempstead, William H.

Rothkirch, Cristóbal von

Stull, Eric

Asociación Nacional del Café (Guatemala)

John G. Hartman Memorial Library Fund.

Language:

English

Spanish

Subjects (All):

Coffee industry--Guatemala--History.

Coffee industry.

History.

Guatemala--Economic conditions.

Guatemala.

Economic conditions.

Physical Description:

223 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 32 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Bogotá, D.C., Colombia : Villegas Editores, 2001.

Summary:

With the single exception of oil, coffee is the world's most-traded commodity by volume. This in and of itself explains its importance for both producing and consuming countries. Native to Ethiopia, coffee spread as a beverage in Arabia between the 13th and 15th centuries, in the Middle East during the 16th century, in Europe during the 17th century and in America in the 18th century. As a crop, it adapted rapidly to the New World. Several Asian, Latin American and African countries between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn discovered the key to economic development in this product. Coffee's importance lies in the fact that, as an export product for consumption, it goes through a series of stages and processes that involve millions of people: from the formation of seedlings, transplantation, cultivation, pruning, harvest, depulping, fermentation, washing, drying, hulling, selection, packing, commercialization, transportation, shipping, receiving, separation, blending, roasting, packaging and labeling and through retail sales. Finally it is ground, prepared, served and enjoyed in a cup.

In Guatemala's case, there are numerous studies that have investigated and analyzed coffee from differing viewpoints over the years. There has however been no history that has treated this subject in its agricultural, economic, social, commercial and cultural context. The lavishly illustrated work before you, The History of Coffee in Guatemala, contains all these aspects: from the propagation of coffee throughout the world, to its introduction and spread in Guatemala, the pioneers' experiences and coffee growers' achievements, favored by the Liberal State on one hand and discouraged on the other by bad weather, nature, infestations, market competition, price instability and commercialization issues. Using specific cases and a general overview, this work recounts the actions and perseverance of the historic economic players in the history of coffee in Guatemala. We hope to do justice to the diversity and the complexity of the crop that established today's Guatemala.

Contents:

Coffee's origins

The introduction of coffee to Guatemala

The promotion of coffee cultivation in Guatemala, 1831-1866

First exports and commercialization of Guatemalan coffee, 1853-1871

The pioneers: the first coffee plantations

The coffee production cycle

The liberal revolution of 1871 and the promotion of coffee cultivation

Coffee boom and crises, 1871-1900

Coffee cultivation and entrepreneurs in Guatemala

From 1897 to the First World War

Coffee cultivation in the 1920s

The 1929 Depression and the Second World War

Postwar: 1945 to 1962

The modern era: 1962 to 1986.

Notes:

"This book has been sponsored by ANACAFÉ"--T.p. verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-215) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the John G. Hartman Memorial Library Fund.

ISBN:

9588156017

OCLC:

49379493