The Farms
Campesinos Ecológicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas (CESMACH)
Farm story: This women's lot is from the cooperative Campesinos Ecológicos de la Sierra Madre de Chiapas (CESMACH), which was founded in 1994. CESMACH’s long-term success is rooted in their guiding principles which aim to strike a balance between developing social programs and building a competitive business. Conservation of natural resources and strong values of respect, loyalty, democracy, and non-discrimination are pillars of the cooperative. CESMACH farmers live in the buffer zone of the El Triunfo biosphere where organic coffee farming is strongly promoted in the delicate cloud forest habitat. As a result, more than sixty percent of the organization’s members are certified organic.
Impact: CESMACH is focused on both environmental and social impact in their community. Conservation of natural resources, strong values of respect, loyalty, democracy and non-discrimination and profitability and efficiency are pillars of the cooperative.
Elevation: 1100-1700 MASL
The Quantit mill
Farm story: The Quantit mill was founded in 2005 by Daye Bensa Coffee, a company run by brothers Asefa and Mulugeta Dukamo that has built numerous mills in the Sidamo region and also exports and grows coffee. The mill was built for farmers near the town of Chabe to sell their coffee in this rugged and difficult to access area. Today, 1500-2000 local farmers deliver coffee to this washing station and no longer have to travel the long distances to other mills. Farmers working with the Quantit mill are also paid a higher premium for their coffee. Once the farmers deliver their cherry, the coffee is pulped right away, fermented underwater for 48 hours and dried 7-8 days on African raised beds.
Impact: Daye Bensa has been working for several years to improve the perception and quality of Sidamo coffee. They’ve also worked to secure higher prices for the farmers in this area through the Quantit mill. The washing station was originally built in this location because there was nowhere within a 5-10 mile radius for farmers to sell their coffee. The area is hard to access and there are no roads to support large trucks going in and out currently, but Daye Bensa is planning to build one throughout the community in the future.
Sidamo, Southern Nations, Ethiopia Elevation: 1900 MASL
The Farmers Project
Farm story: Farmers Project was founded by Jonathan Jost and Marianella Baez Jost of Café Con Amor. When they gave up their corporate jobs to follow their passion as coffee farmers in Costa Rica, they were struck by how hard local farmers worked, only to sell their coffee for prices that could not sustain the most basic lifestyle. The Farmers Project was started to help local farmers in Costa Rica sell their coffee for a fair price to support their workers, their farms, and their families. Sharing this vision, the five farms that make up this group share knowledge and learnings with one another and export their specialty coffee together. This blend represents their collective efforts towards a sustainable and equitable future.
Impact: Imported directly from the Farmers Project group and consists of coffees from the following farms: Cafe con Amor, Zalmari Estate, El Greco, Familia Fernandez, and Sircof. Their mission is “to cultivate quality coffee using sustainable practices and to establish long-term relationships with buying partners who believe in doing business with integrity and fairness in mind”.
Elevation: 1350-1400 MASL
