The ICO expresses solidarity to the victims of Volcán de Fuego

The Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO) and its staff have expressed their solidarity and sincere condolences to the farmers, their families and other Guatemalans that have lost their lives and property to the recent tragic events caused by the eruption of the Volcán de Fuego. According to the Guatemalan National Coffee Association (Anacafé) and the Coffee Foundation for Rural Development (Funcafé), the eruption affected parts of Escuintla, Sacatepéquez, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, El Progreso and some regions in the East of the country, in particular the coffee growing areas in the South-West. Some damage has been reported to production units in the village of El Rodeo, Escuintla. In Alotenango, it is thought that the sand and ash has affected between 15 to 20 per cent of the coffee growing area. In parts of Chimaltenango, the area affected is somewhere between 1900 and 2000 manzanas (equivalent to approximately 7000 square meters) mainly in the communities of Acatenango, San Pedro Yepocapa, El Tejar, Chimaltenango and San Martín Jilotepeque. The ICO will be looking into possibilities to assist, in partnership with domestic and international organizations, in the restoration of the coffee production and of the livelihood of coffee farmers affected by the eruption of the Volcán de Fuego. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) is the main intergovernmental organisation for coffee, bringing together exporting and importing Governments to tackle the challenges facing the world coffee sector through international cooperation. For more information, visit www.ico.org.