In this video, Sister Parish staff member Brian visits the community of San Andres Itzapa and talks to farmers about how the 2019 drought affected them.  The farmers in the region have now weathered 3 years of unpredictable rainy seasons.  For many years, farmers in Guatemala could plan on planting mid-May and harvesting in October or November due to a very predictable pattern of rainfall.  In 2019, the rainy season did not really begin until September in certain areas of Guatemala.  In San Andres Itzapa, this led to the loss of about 70% of their crops.

In Guatemala, subsistence farmers rely on their annual crops, particularly corn, beans and squash, to feed their families.