Guardians of the Sierra Madre

by Cheryl Stafford

Our travels in January 2007 started out in the hot and tropical city of Tapachula along the pacific coast in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. We were visiting the ISMAM cooperative, our main coffee importer. Mam meaning “Guardian of the Mountain” describes the indigenous people of a bioregion divided by a geopolitical line into Guatemala and Mexico. The land within this bioregion is primarily local farmlands. Winding roads up to 5000 feet led us to these beautiful high altitude farming communities. Terraces of coffee plants in beds of rich organic top soil were shaded by a vibrant canopy of diverse native trees. Fortunate for us it was “la cosecha,” or harvest time, and we got to experience how hard these people work for our cup of latté.

Up in the mountains, we experienced the hub of coffee activity. People were picking coffee berries, carrying 150 pound sacks on their backs down the mountain, fermenting the berries, “wet-milling” them, and drying the bean on huge slabs of concrete outside their humble homes. Having worked on dahinda’s blueberry farm for years, I couldn’t help throwing a basket around my waist and harvest some berries myself. What a privilege it was to be working alongside such a committed people. Every farm we visited welcomed us with such gracious hospitality, with the focus always on serving food or beverage and sharing their story.

“El Beneficio” is the central mill shared by 930 farmers and members of the ISMAM cooperative. The pergamino bean is brought here to be weighed, shelled of its last husk, inspected for quality, and finally exported as the “gold bean” to various parts of the world. Of the 930 farmers, 80 will be elected to represent each farming community at the cooperative’s monthly meetings. Every two years, 8 of those 80 delegates will be elected to form the directive of the cooperative.

Some of the delegates travel from as far as two days away to participate in the monthly meeting, which can last for up to two days. During the meetings, it’s common for members to throw down some coffee sacks, sleep for the night, attend mass in the morning, and continue with business. I was very impressed with their organization, their decision making process, and the respect and humbleness with which they spoke with one another.

I came away from this experience inspired. We at Café Mam were reconnecting with the farmers, and it was powerful. Just as it was important for us to be there with the farmers that produce our coffee, it was crucial for them to be able to share their reality with us. I listened to their stories, their inspirations, and their struggles of the undertakings of their cooperative. They told me it was worth it. They told me it was worth it to be “autonomo.” They told me that Fair Trade has made a difference in their lives.