For over 50 years, coffee has been the leading economic activity in the Sierra Norte de Chiapas as well as the main instrument for the exclusion and economic oppression of farming families. We are often unaware of the fact that there can be up to eight intermediaries between the producer and our cup of coffee and that in addition to unpredictable weather conditions, the producer has had to cope with volatile coffee prices on the Stock Exchange.
Capeltic has liaised with universities, international foundations and the Jesuit mission in Bachajón to establish a dialogue between the Tzeltal indigenous lifestyle and the global pace of the market, which are diametrically opposed.
The point is to regenerate natural heritage in an agro-ecological manner, by focusing on people and defending the local richness in order to reinvest it in the cooperative’s community processes.
Using an inter-company model designed to maximize social benefit through profitability, this social solidarity initiative has managed to avoid some of the pitfalls involved in coffee production by creating a sense of belonging in the groups involved: producers, employees and consumers.
- Yomol A’tel is the group of solidarity companies that coordinates the efforts made throughout the value chain.
- Tsumbal Xitalhá is a coffee growers’ cooperative in the Chilón region in Chiapas.
- Bat’sil Maya is the coffee processor that enables producers to sell roasted coffee as a value-added product, rather than just raw material.
- Capeltic is coffee shop that sells coffee in the cup, reaches a wide audience and competes in the specialty coffee market. It has branches in Mexico City, Puebla and Guadalajara.
Fixed Price
Another element that has contributed to Capeltic’s success is the solid partnership established with an overseas buyer who, in addition to guaranteeing it monthly purchase of a large volume, pays a fixed price that does not depend on the prices determined by the stock market. This minimizes financial risk for producers while ensuring decent wages for their work.
Capeltic is the culmination of a social process intended to improve the living conditions of thousands of coffee farmers in the Sierra Norte de Chiapas by focusing more on quality and less on production volume. The point is not only to give the market what it wants, but also to teach the population about fair trade, economic solidarity and interculturality.
To learn more about Capeltic, its producers and its structure, we invite you to visit their website:
www.capeltic.org
