MEXICAN-CESMACH Cooperative – El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve-Fair Trade Organic

We’ve been sourcing coffee from the south of Mexico in the state of Chiapas from a couple of different cooperatives, Finca Triunfo Verde (FTV) and Campesinos Ecologicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas (CESMACH), since the mid-2010s. The cup quality on these has been solid year after year. Both of these commercialize their coffee through a third party, allowing them to do what they do best—produce solid coffee. There is no reason why this area can’t produce great coffee! They have all the conditions such as heirloom coffee varieties (Bourbon, Typica), great altitude (1200–1750masl), and passionate coffee growers who want to produce high-quality lots. The location is extremely close to the Guatemala border and Huehuetenango.

CABONACH is a fair-trade certified cooperative that stands for Cafeticultores de los Bosques del Norte de Chiapas. Located in the Altos de Chiapas region of Mexico, this cooperative represents smallholder producers in the surrounding areas that are harvesting ripe cherries, processing them washed on their own organic-certified farms, and delivering their coffee in parchment form to the warehouse for purchase and approval.

The farms of both CESMACH and the FTV are located in the buffer zone of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, which is in the highlands of the Sierra Madre. it is one of the most diverse forest reserve areas in the world and contains Mesoamerica’s largest cloud forest, as well as a protected natural environment for thousands of plant and animal species. All of the coffee produced here is shade-grown.