[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-12-2.jpg” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”1 – Intro” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n
There are lots of coffee-growing regions with potential, but when we think of untapped opportunities to invest in producers and make a real impact on quality and recovery, we can\u2019t help but think of Mexico as a perfect example of what\u00a0potential\u00a0<\/em>means from a coffee source.<\/p>\n The facts support it: There are still good varieties grown there (Bourbon, Caturra, Typica, Maragogype) at higher elevations (1,400\u20131,700 meters in some places); there is a strong cooperative culture that stands to support smallholder farmers; and its location in proximity to the U.S. means the possibility for faster, smoother shipping and logistics.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-4-2.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-6-2.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”2. Rust” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Mexico has suffered some setbacks over the past decade, however, as it was among the worst hit by coffee-leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix<\/em>), a fungal disease that chokes the plants\u2019 ability to host ripe cherry. Combine that with a record low C-Market price for a one-two punch: Farmers unable to turn a profit with their small, sickly yields have struggled to reinvest for quality, while pickers and other necessary labor resources have been forced to migrate away from the coffee sector in search of reliable work.<\/p>\n At first glance this sounds like a terribly sad story, but instead of lingering on the negatives we see the possibility between the lines: There are real, tangible opportunities to support small producers and revive the local coffee economy, and to tap into both the high-quality coffees that already do exist and the ones that we know can come to market in the next few years with the right support from companies like Cafe Imports and our roaster partners.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”3. Smallholder Support” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_orientation=”justified” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”3. Piero” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Smallholder farmers who own just 2 or 3 hectares became the backbone of the Mexican coffee industry in the early 20th<\/sup>century, when land-redistribution efforts broke up many large colonial estates and gave farmland to the plantation workers as well as returning plots to displaced indigenous peoples. Splitting up the haciendas offered more autonomous business opportunities, but it also created a fragmented marketplace: Famers with so little land also have less access to direct buyers, as well as to resources necessary to manage, grow, and re-invest in their farms.<\/p>\n One response over the past several decades has been the establishment of strong cooperatives: democratic associations of smallholder farmers that can simulate an economy of scale for the individual members while also gaining market leverage with their combined volume. They also have a built-in sense of community that other, less-connected producers have, which can also help in a time of, say, a labor shortage\u2014another thing that coffee farmers in Mexico are currently experiencing.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-9-2.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-2-2.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”5. CESMACH” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a big issue this year in general, in Mexico and Central America,\u201d says senior green-coffee buyer Piero Cristiani, who visits Mexico on sourcing trips twice or three times annually. \u201cThey couldn\u2019t find labor for the picking. They blame it on the [migrant] caravans, because so many people left.\u201d<\/p>\n The overall labor shortage is another way that cooperatives have an advantage over individual growers: The built-in network of participants means that pickers who work with one member farmer on some days during the harvest can venture to a nearby farm on off days to earn more money. Members themselves can also assist their neighbors, family, and friends this way, which offers a bit of relief as well. Additionally, co-ops that have earned certifications such as Fair Trade, organic, and\/or Rainforest Alliance earn more money than the standard market rate, which allows them to pay better, more attractive prices for labor than conventional or non-certified producers.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”5. CESMACH A” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n For this reason, \u201cthe co-ops are in a better position,\u201d Piero says, explaining that\u00a0Cafe Imports pays our long-term FTO co-op partners more than even the Fair Trade floor price, by as much as 25\u201330%.\u00a0That price differential can mean the difference between investing in quality or walking away from a struggling farm. For the groups we buy from every year\u2014especially CESMACH and Triunfo Verde Cooperative, both located in the buffer zone of the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve\u2014it has translated into nurseries full of good varieties that display tolerance to rust.<\/p>\n \u201cCESMACH is doing a really good job at distributing some really good, high-quality varieties,\u201d Piero reports. \u201cThey have this variety they found they call Rancho Bonito. It\u2019s not rust\u00a0resistant,<\/em>\u00a0but it\u2019s tolerant to rust, and it has a good production and a good cup. They\u2019ve given out more than 3.5 million plants in the past couple of years.\u201d Piero says that early samples of this variety, named after the area where it was discovered, cupped as high as 87 or 88 points\u2014promising enough to inspire a small trial for the 2018\/9 harvest, with a limited run of bags available to our customers. \u201cThey still don\u2019t know what it is,\u201d Piero says, explaining part of the hesitation for going all-in on a full container yet. \u201cI asked them and they said it could be Obata, or Tabi. The profile from the first samples they gave us, the cup was really good, and it was also floral, so it could be something else. It could also be a Catimor type that has been crossed with an Ethiopian, something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-3-2.jpg” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”6. COOPS” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Working closely with cooperatives over the course of several years also opens up the opportunity to identify and reward microlot-quality coffee, which can mean an exponential boost in revenue for a producer whose individual lot is a shining star. This year we have seen some stand-out microlot offerings from Triunfo Verde as well as an association called COORPROVER that\u2019s located in a microregion of Veracruz: These coffees are coming in hot with notes of apple, caramel and brown sugar, lemon-lime, and grapefruit.<\/p>\n Piero says that the farms from which we\u2019ve seen the best lots through COORPROVER have been high-elevation areas in Puebla, around 1,700 meters. (So high up for the region, in fact, that the cherry is sometimes threatened by frost.) Members of the group have done well in Cup of Excellence competitions in the past\u2014another sign of the immense potential that still exists in Mexico, with the right opportunities.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”7. Investing in Mexico” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”7a. Investing in Mexico” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n While there are conversations in the greater specialty-coffee sphere about how the industry as a whole can create a more sustainable supply stream that benefits farmers more, there are also individual actions that roasters and green-coffee buyers can make in order to become part of the push toward a solution.<\/p>\n One of the first and perhaps one of the easiest is to identify an area that is regularly overlooked by the specialty market and to increase engagement and empowerment there. Despite the toll the past few years have taken on the Mexican coffee landscape, despite the lower supply and even the decline in cup score that\u2019s been a natural result of the coffee leaf-rust epidemic, we have continued to work with communities of growers who are committed to staying with coffee production, and who are dedicated to focusing on quality even when the cards appear stacked against them.<\/p>\n Piero continues to seek new partnerships and to strengthen existing relationships, visiting regularly and going the extra mile to find and compensate quality and reliability\u2014especially from smallholders and cooperatives.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-10-2.jpg” align=”center” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-8-2.jpg” align=”center” \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image _builder_version=”3.7″ src=”\/\/cdn.cafeimports.com\/images\/Cafe_Imports_Mexico_Harvest_Reaport-5-2.jpg” align=”center” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”7a. Investing in Mexico” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n Our customers are what allows him to do that, and what allows us to continue to show up and buy coffee from producers who have faced years of setbacks from weather conditions, a volatile C Market, political unrest, and lack of resources. Despite the obstacles, Mexico\u2019s coffee farmers continue to work hard and produce the best coffee they\u2019re able, and we know our customers\u2014many of whom are small-business owners themselves\u2014value that tenacity and toughness, and can identify the passion for coffee that is the common thread between us all.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”7a. What you can do” _builder_version=”3.7″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”15px” header_font=”Raleway||||||||” header_font_size=”25px” text_orientation=”justified”]<\/p>\n What\u00a0you<\/u><\/em>\u00a0can do is commit to taking a closer look at Mexico, and potentially making room for it\u2014or creating more room for it\u2014on your menu.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t just altruism: It\u2019s good business and good coffee, and it\u2019s one actual, actionable way to help make circumstances a little better, one purchase at a time.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_cta button_text=”Offerings” use_background_color=”off” background_color=”#7bb262″ border_style=”solid” custom_button=”on” button_url=”https:\/\/www.cafeimports.com\/offerings#\/origin=Mexico\/” header_font=”Changa One||||” button_text_color_hover=”#ffffff” button_text_color=”#000000″ button_border_color=”#000000″ button_bg_color_hover=”#911814″ button_border_color_hover=”#911814″ module_class=”CI-divi-button1″ custom_css_promo_button=”width: 100%;||min-height: 90px;||” saved_tabs=”all” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.7″ \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are lots of coffee-growing regions with potential, but when we think of untapped opportunities to invest in producers and make a real impact on quality and recovery, we can\u2019t help but think of Mexico as a perfect example of what \u201cpotential\u201d means from a coffee source. There are good varieties, a strong cooperative culture, and more streamlined logistics\u2014so what has kept Mexico from truly shining as a growing region? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":43005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" [et_pb_section bb_built=\"1\"][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\"][et_pb_image _builder_version=\"3.7\" src=\"\/\/images.cafeimports.com\/Cafe_Imports_El_Salvador_Harvest_Report-1-11.jpg\" \/][et_pb_text admin_label=\"1 - Intro\" _builder_version=\"3.7\" text_font=\"Raleway||||||||\" text_font_size=\"15px\" text_orientation=\"justified\"]<\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=\"1_2\"][et_pb_image _builder_version=\"3.7\" src=\"\/\/images.cafeimports.com\/Cafe_Imports_El_Salvador_Harvest_Report-1-6.jpg\" \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\"1_2\"][et_pb_image _builder_version=\"3.7\" src=\"\/\/images.cafeimports.com\/Cafe_Imports_El_Salvador_Harvest_Report-1-4.jpg\" \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\"][et_pb_text admin_label=\"2. Focus\" _builder_version=\"3.7\" text_font=\"Raleway||||||||\" text_font_size=\"15px\" text_orientation=\"justified\"]<\/p> [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=\"2a. Focus\" _builder_version=\"3.7\" text_font=\"Raleway||||||||\" text_font_size=\"15px\" text_orientation=\"justified\"]<\/p> One way Piero has arranged to create a more sustainable pricing structure is to buy coffee in parchment from farmers, after which Cafe Imports handles the sampling, milling, sorting, and arranging the final export. He thinks that his willingness and the ability to meet and compromise with producers this way is one of the things that gives Caf\u00e9 Imports the long-term advantage.<\/p> [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=\"3. Piero\" _builder_version=\"3.7\" text_font=\"Raleway||||||||\" text_font_size=\"15px\" text_orientation=\"justified\"]<\/p> \u201cWe pay higher prices, and we also pay for producers to wait for us to give them results, because that\u2019s how long it takes,\u201d he says, as opposed to the instant results (and lower prices) that come from selling to local traders. \u201cWe might have to go a whole week just to do the sampling from the farms, from the producers\u2019 warehouses\u2014sometimes from somebody\u2019s kitchen or bedroom. Then we have to prepare the samples\u2014could be 150 lots\u2014and then you have to send them [to the U.S. sensory analysis lab] via DHL. It takes about three days to get there, and then they\u2019re in the lab, [it can be] another week to cup\u2014overall it might take about four weeks.\u201d<\/p> Piero says that paying that going that extra mile, as well as paying the higher prices and making the investment in the producers\u2019 growth, has proved to be the key to forming year-after-year buying relationships.<\/p> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=\"1_2\"][et_pb_image _builder_version=\"3.7\" src=\"\/\/images.cafeimports.com\/Cafe_Imports_El_Salvador_Harvest_Report-1-10.jpg\" \/][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=\"1_2\"][et_pb_image _builder_version=\"3.7\" src=\"\/\/images.cafeimports.com\/Cafe_Imports_El_Salvador_Harvest_Report-1-3.jpg\" \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=\"4_4\"][et_pb_text admin_label=\"4. Chalatenango \/ Pequenos\" _builder_version=\"3.7\" text_font=\"Raleway||||||||\" text_font_size=\"15px\" text_orientation=\"justified\"]<\/p>Smallholder Support<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Investing in Mexico<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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