The lush ridges and valleys of the Sierra Madre rise high into the clouds of western Guatemala. The unique combination of high elevations, dense neotropical forests, and cold wet nights create an ideal setting for the production of great coffee. Known in the coffee world as Huehuetenango (way way ten ango) this region was one of the first recognized appellations, a historical fact that testifies to its unique ecology, culture, and distinctive coffees. In fact, Huehuetenango is one of two appellations recognized by Slow Food International as a heritage producer.

My name is Andrew, I’m a brand new employee at Cafe Gratitude’s central office, and I want to share some inspiration with you. What inspires me is compassionate food--food that’s kind to the soil it’s planted in, the people who prepare it, and the hungry bodies that make it part of them. This inspiration has lead me to work with Cafe Gratitude, and also with another organization re-imagining good food, and one I’ll talk about today: the Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive, or CoFED, which empowers college students to launch food cooperatives.

What both these organizations have in common is that they empower people to transform their lives, with compassionate food as a catalyst. We like to call the Cafe a school of transformation disguised as a restaurant, because our core mission isn’t to sell you food - our aim is to give you tools to shape your life how you want it to be. Part of actively taking control of your life involves loving yourself, and a key part of loving yourself is feeding yourself really awesome food. So when you decide that you’re worthy of nourishing your body, mind and soul with meals that are kind to the Earth and her animal and human inhabitants - meals that make you feel and function great - you’re taking the first step on the journey of self-transformation.