Guatemalan crime wave hits coffee sector

Crime continues to be an ongoing problem in the country of Guatemala.  According to Guatemala's National Coffee Association and its Association of Coffee Exporters, it has most recently hit its number one export, coffee.  Police reports indicate that coffee growers are reporting the theft of coffee beans from their farms, and exporters are reporting being hit as well.Guatemala is the world's eighth largest producer of coffee, producing approximately 4 million 60-kg sacks each year.  The country's high-grown beans, particularly those grown on the southern volcanic slopes, are considered by  many to be the best coffee in the world.  For yours truly, there is no better coffee in the world.  This export accounts for almost $600 million of the country's gross domestic product, and employs approximately half a million Guatemalans.For the sake of my coffee tastes, but even more so for the sake of the coffee growers and exporters that are taking this crime on the chin, I hope authorities are able to increase security and combat this problem.  As with many of the coffee producing countries along the 'coffee belt', these growers might be the country's entrepreneurs but are by no means wealthy.  Nobody needs to have their harvest robbed in this way, and police are providing guidance on how growers and exporters can strengthen security along their supply chain.Learn more about Guatemalan coffee.