Mexic Los Altos

In 2022, we started working in Los Altos de Chiapas, a region mostly home to Tzeltal and Tzotzil indigenous communities. This area is known in the specialty coffee for its ideal high altitudes and the cultivation of traditional coffee varieties like Typica and Bourbon. Coffee was introduced to this region over a century ago when indigenous people, after working on coffee farms in Soconusco (southern Chiapas, bordering Guatemala), adapted the seeds to their own land. They first planted them in small areas and later expanded to larger plots.

Farming in Los Altos is distinctive as it continues to follow traditional practices, such as cultivating coffee beneath the shade of other trees. These ancient methods help shield the plants from diseases like rust, promote biodiversity, and offer environmental advantages that economically benefit the indigenous communities who manage these ecosystems.