traditional organic guatemalan coffee ground - ORGANIC GUATEMALA GROUND COFFEE, dark roast, 100% Arabica, Fair Trade, non gmo - arabica coffee ground from guatemala, by SWAN LIFE ESSENTIALS - (36 Ounce 3 Bags) The coffee industry began to develop in Guatemala in the 1850s and 1860s. Small plantations flourished in Amatitlán and Antigua areas in the southwest. Initial growth though was slow due to lack of knowledge and technology. Many planters had to rely on loans and borrow from their families to finance their coffee estates (fincas) with coffee production in Guatemala increasingly owned by foreign companies who possessed the financial power to buy plantations and provide investment. Many acres of land were suitable for this cultivation, and the varieties that were produced in the temperate regions were superior. Coffee was grown around Guatemala City, Chimaltenango, and Verapaz. The majority of the plantations were located in the departments of Guatemala, Amatitlan, Sacatepequez, Solola, Retalhuleu, Quezaltenango, San Marcos, and Alta Verapaz.