Terminal Friends hosts Guatemala farm owner forum to spotlight coffee origins

Terminal Friends announced Thursday that it hosted the "Chica Bean Farm Owner Visit Forum & Cupping Event."

The event was held Tuesday at Terminal Espresso House's Gangseo branch and drew more than 40 attendees, including producers from Guatemala, representatives of the Korea Coffee Association, domestic coffee education institutions and specialty coffee shops.

Josue Antonio Martinez Roque, chief executive of Guatemalan specialty coffee brand Chica Bean, and co-CEO Jo Min-jae were also present. The two shared stories about Guatemala's coffee-growing regions, along with information on recently prominent processing methods and varieties. A cupping session featuring coffee brought directly from Guatemala was also held.

Chica Bean connects smallholder farmers in Guatemala — particularly women farm owners who have been shut out of information and market access — and helps them receive fair prices for their beans. The company exports coffee roasted locally in Guatemala and currently sells in the United States. It also supplies PriceSmart, the largest membership-based warehouse retail chain in Central America.

Terminal Friends CEO Jeong Hwa-yong said the company wanted to create a space where people could hear firsthand about the realities of coffee-producing regions. "We hope this free trade agreement will open up more opportunities for high-quality Guatemalan coffee to reach Korean consumers," he said.

Chica Bean CEO Josue said he was surprised by the level of attention and understanding Korean consumers showed toward coffee origins. "I hope our exchange with the Korean market will continue to deepen," he said.