MAKAI Decaf Coffee

Farm: GRAPOS

Varietal: Bourbon & Typica

Process: Decaf

Altitude: 700 – 1,600 metres above sea level

Town / City: El Porvenir and Llano Grande

Region: Chiapas

Owner: 2,708 smallholder producers

Tasting Notes: Black tea, lime and honey

Farm Size: 3 hectares

Origin: GRAPOS Organic Mountain Water Decaf

Chiapas is situated in the southern reaches of Mexico, with rich biodiversity and climbing altitudes – this region is known for its healthy soils and ideal climates for coffee production. As one of the five Mayan States in Mexico, Chiapas has a wealth of archaeological and cultural history. It is within this region that the Grupo de Agricultores Positivos S.P.R. (GRAPOS) was founded in 2007.

Throughout the Chiapas region, specifically in the El Porvenir and Llano Grande municipalities, are collections of smallholder coffee producers growing coffee in the rich upper reaches of the mountains. The GRAPOS organization was initially comprised of 90 producers, growing to 300 the following year, and expanded to the 2,708 producers involved today, 772 of which are females.

El Porvenir translates to mean ‘the future,’ which is evident in its high altitudes, rich biodiversity, and potential to create a harmonious future with high quality coffee production and ecosystem preservation. The area also borders the Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, which explains the biodiverse array of native flora and fauna in the area.

GRAPOS seeks to provide each of these producers with the necessary guidance to produce high-quality coffee. This comes in the form of technical assistance, free seedlings to replace damaged trees, in addition to other educational programs.

There are 8 collection centres throughout the area to make it easier for producers to deliver their cherries to the mill located in Angel Díaz, Honduras, Llano Grande, Porvenir, Vega del Rosario, Tapachula, Guatimoc, and Chicomuselo. The producers live in remote farms, making communication and travel quite difficult – so GRAPOS provides the necessary assistance to the producers, making it easier to deliver and sell cherries. Thanks to the organization’s involvement, these producers have seen an increase in yields and quality, thus leading to an increase in overall income. This then allows more funds to be invested in the farms and creates a future for coffee production in this region.