Asociación de Caficultores y Agricultores de Sipacapa (ACAS) was founded in Guatemala in 2009 with the help of an international non-governmental organization. ACAS recognized the need for economic alternatives to the dominant mining industry, which was harming the region's environment and human health. The group is committed to continually transitioning a larger percentage of its producers to organic production. 

Fewer than 300 producers make up ACAS, though membership is growing rapidly as local farmers become more interested. Most producers have less than 1 hectare of land and complete all processing and drying on their farm. Throughout the week, members bring their coffee to the town of Sipacapa, where they submit it to the association for evaluation. ACAS is part of a network of farmer associations that make up Manos Campesinas, an export cooperative that provides technical assistance, quality control, and market access to 15 associations across Guatemala. As ACAS collects enough coffee for a shipment, Manos Campesinas coordinates quality assurance, sampling, and shipment to our roasteries.  

Sipacapa (seep-ah-KAHP-ah) is in the department of San Marcos, Guatemala. The area has a long history tied to mining, but community members remain strongly committed to preserving their land. While coffee has likely grown here since the '90s, other economic activities took precedence for years; cultivation has only recently returned in earnest, partly due to the specialty market access Manos Campesinas has developed for its members.