Mexico Chiapas Cesmach FTO

Cupping Notes: Caramel, toffee, honey, nuts

This is a Fair Trade and Organic certified SHG EP grade washed coffee from Campesinos Ecologicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas coffee cooperative(CESMACH) located in the Chiapas region of Mexico.  The coffee is processed at Union El Triunfo in Independencia, a municipality of La Concordia, Chiapas.  Growing altitude for this lot is between 900 and 1850 masl with 85% of the plots well above 1,200 masl and varieties include Typica and Bourbon.

Cesmach was founded in 1994 by smallholder farmers seeking more transparent access to the coffee market.  At the time the local market was dominated by many intermediaries and an absence of technical support and pre-finance, leading to a challenging environment for the farmers.  So, the farmers organised themselves into a cooperative which today has 663 members.  The coop is well known for its strong leadership and adept organisation and operates under 3 central maxims:

1. Conservation of natural resources

2. Strong values of respect, loyalty, democracy, social participation, and non-discrimination

3. Economic profitability and efficiency

Organic farming is strongly promoted, resulting in the certification of more than 60% of the organizations members.  In total, members have 1250 hectares under organic coffee cultivation.  Premiums are used to support a community savings bank to facilitate member access to financing.

Subregion: Chiapas

Processing: Washed

Certifications: Fair Trade Organic

Plant Species: Arabica

Variety: Bourbon, Typica

Coffee Grade: SHG EP

Growing Altitude: > 1200m