Chiapas faces the highest poverty rate in Mexico, with 72.2% living in poverty. Across the region, women face exclusion to land tenure and utilisation. Last year we were lucky enough to visit Chiapas and the 58 tseltal women who grow this coffee, hearing first hand what they experience in a male dominated industry was eye-opening.

The Yallah Buying Standards are a set of criteria to enable us to source coffee in a way we feel aligns with our values and principles.

In many coffee growing countries, the concept of women owning coffee farms is still uncommon and in some places, prohibited by government laws. Yet women contribute a staggering amount of the labour involved in producing coffee, from picking the cherries to hand sorting and processes. Supporting female producers and co-ops is crucial to eliminating the gender gap in coffee.

To learn more about women in coffee, and why our support is so important.

Chiapas is the heart of coffee in Mexico, not only as the region with the highest production but for its commitment to traditional farming methods. It lies just north of the border to Guatemala (400km) and is home to one of the largest indigenous populations in Mexico; with about one-fourth speaking Mayan dialects.

The high mountains bring ideal coffee growing conditions here, but steep slopes too; the terrain is far from easy. Witnessing the harvest firsthand, it’s easy to be awestruck by the steep slopes and the skill required to navigate them. Pickers carry heavy sacks of cherries up and down these slopes often with babies on their backs. It's a testament to their hard work that we can enjoy this incredible coffee.

COFEMO is a feminist organization founded over 30 years ago that works to close gender gaps in Chiapas’ most unequal municipalities. The group have been supported by the COFEMO organisation for 8 years now with the aim is to increase visibility, and intertwine farming innovation with traditional indigenous growing practices, as well as boost their income by selling their handmade textiles and honey.

Our trip to visit the COFEMO group last year was eye-opening. We often view business women with a powerful viewpoint but in reality these women grow coffee as a necessity, not choice. They work tirelessly day in day out, juggling responsibilities whilst producing outstanding coffee, yet still have restricted access to education, land and support comparatively to their male counterparts.