ORIGIN

Coffee was first cultivated in Mexico in the late 18th century. However, coffee cultivation didn’t develop until the late 19th with the redistribution of farms after independence and the emergence of smallholder producers, specifically those of indigenous origin. Throughout the 1990s and turn of the millennium, Mexico coffee production has focused on organic and Fair Trade certifications with an emphasis on more democratically-run smallholder cooperatives.

In recent years, Mexico has struggled with devastating coffee-leaf rust and other pathogens that have reduced both yield and cup quality. This, combined with the turnover of land ownership and loss of labour to emigration and relocation has created huge challenges for coffee producing communities. In spite of this, Mexico still bursts with potential – especially in the mountainous southernmost region of Chiapas where much of the land is tropical forest protected under the Triunfo Biosphere Reserve. Here, small communities of producers have formed cooperatives to gain stronger representation in the coffee market. They take great take pride in their land, growing coffee organically through methods passed down from generati…