Tate - Cofemo 250g | Mexico

 The Mercedes Olivera Feminist Collective (COFEMO) is a feminist organisation with over three decades of activism that is dedicated to closing gender gaps in the most marginalised and unequal municipalities of Chiapas.

In partnership with other organisations, COFEMO launched the project “Initiatives with Women’s Work,” which gave birth to the specialty coffee cooperative ‘Sat Kajpel Antsetik,’ meaning “Coffee with a Woman’s Face” in the Tzotzil indigenous language. Parallel to this, two other projects focused on honey and textile production are being developed.The cooperative consists of 58 indigenous women from various generations, ranging in age from 20 to 60 years old, who live in different communities in the Los Altos de Chiapas region.

The women grow coffee beneath the canopy of shade trees, fostering a more favourable growing environment while maintaining harmony with the surrounding ecosystem. Additionally, some implement the “milpa” system, where they plant crops like beans, corn, and squash, ensuring self-sufficiency for their families and communities.

The organisation faces several challenges in coffee production, especially environmental ones like unpredictable and adverse weather patterns that have disrupted the growing cycles. A key challenge is the limited participation of women in decision-making and access to land. Although they are not landowners, many have negotiated with men to manage the farms. The plantations are also at risk from diseases such as coffee leaf rust, the coffee berry borer, and anthracnose. This year, the Mediterranean fruit fly has become an additional threat. Combined with the fact that many of the coffee plants are old and have not been renewed or pruned, these issues have led to low yields.

Despite being produced in such unpredictable and challenging conditions, Mexico has produced some of our favourite coffees in recent years.