Josué Morales

Josué Morales has been a fixture in the specialty coffee industry since 2003, building a career defined by both hands-on agricultural management and a strategic, human-centered approach to the coffee supply chain. Based in Guatemala, he serves as the Creative Director at Los Volcanes Coffee, an organization dedicated to ethical sourcing and fostering long-term, trust-based relationships between producers and the global market. His work is deeply rooted in the belief that the coffee supply chain must be restructured to ensure that farmers can achieve financial stability despite the inherent volatility of agricultural markets.

Morales is perhaps best known for his leadership at Beneficio La Esperanza and Finca El Pintado, located in the Antigua region of Guatemala. These estates are notable for being the only organic-certified coffee farms in the Antigua area. Morales has utilized these properties as research and testing grounds for organic agricultural practices, aiming to prove that high-quality, specialty-grade coffee can be produced sustainably without relying on conventional synthetic inputs. His transition from a skeptic of organic agriculture to a leading advocate for it highlights his commitment to evolving farming methodologies.

Beyond his work on his own estates, Morales is actively involved in broader industry innovation. He has been instrumental in introducing new coffee varieties to Guatemala, including Arara, Topazio, and Paraiso. These efforts involve navigating complex bureaucratic processes to bring climate-resilient and high-quality cultivars to the region, with the goal of diversifying the genetic landscape of Guatemalan coffee production. This work is often conducted in collaboration with international partners, reflecting his focus on global knowledge exchange.

His influence extends to the roasting and retail sectors as well. Coffees produced under his management, such as those from Finca Villa La Esperanza, have received significant critical acclaim, including recognition in Coffee Review’s Top 30 Coffees of the year. These coffees are frequently noted for their complex profiles, often featuring notes of dark chocolate, stone fruit, and floral aromatics, which are achieved through meticulous traditional washed processing methods.

Morales is also a vocal advocate for the economic empowerment of farmers. He frequently writes and speaks about the 'human-centered' production model, emphasizing that the economic vulnerability of smallholder farmers is the most critical challenge in the industry. By focusing on transparency and fair treatment, he seeks to move beyond the traditional commodity-based pricing models that often fail to cover the costs of production for small and medium-sized growers.

Today, Morales continues to bridge the gap between farm-level production and international specialty markets. Through his mentorship of younger professionals and his ongoing projects with Los Volcanes Coffee, he remains a key figure in the effort to modernize Guatemalan coffee production. His work serves as a case study for how producers can integrate scientific research, organic certification, and ethical business practices to create a more resilient and equitable future for coffee communities.