Mexico
Mujeres Mazateca
Caramel, vanilla, molasses, red fruits and orange
Elevation: 1200-2000 MASL
Process: Washed
Varietal: Typica, Mundo Novo, Bourbon
Importer: Raw Material
More on this coffee
The Mazateca is located in the state of Oaxaca, one of the most diverse states in México, both biologically
and culturally. The Mazateca gets its name from the presence of the indigenous group, the Mazatec, which is a Nahualt name that translates to “the deer people”. However, in their own language, Mazateco, the group is called Ha Shuta Enima, which means “those who work the hills”.
The land is found between the regions from La Cañada and the Papaloapán Valley, at the northern tip of the state of Oaxaca. As part of the Sierra Madre Sur and the Sierra Oriental, the land is surrounded by high mountains, cliffs, and hills of mainly mesophile forest, bathed by constant rains, and the intermittent presence of mist.
The Mazateca is an important indigenous region where 92% of the population speaks an indigenous language, mostly Mazateco, with a few Nahuatl and Mixtec speakers also. The locals show a connection to their ancestry through their celebrations and traditions, such as celebrations for each town patron, day of the dead, local seed sowing traditions, and many others.
The region is also one of the most lacking in health and education coverage of the country with an alarming poverty and illiteracy level. It is made up of small and isolated communities where the main economic activity is small-scale agriculture, since few people own more than a couple hectares of land.
The weather, the land, and the producers together generate extraordinary coffees in this region. The varieties mainly cultivated are Typica, Mundo Novo and Caturra. Most of these plants tend to be over 40 years old which is a major contributing factor for the low yields.
The average amount of coffee processed by each producer per harvest can be as low as 100 kg,
This means we all too often buy lots of 20 kg from each producer (the smallest lot we have received was 4kg). The large amount of work for gathering and cupping samples and the microlots turns out to be absolutely worth the effort due to the complexity of the coffees that this region produces. This is undeniably one of the most impressive coffee producing regions we work in, in Mexico. In the Mazateca most producers may harvest around 100 kilos, but the greater majority is kept for consumption. For this reason, some blends come from numerous producers.
Most coffee producers in the Mazateca have between 0.5 to 5 hectares of land with the average producer working on less than one hectare. This means that, as in much of Oaxaca, production is very small and yields are lower here than in other areas of the state. The Sierra Mazateca mountain range is located to the north of Oaxaca city and forms much of the state’s border with Veracruz. The region is very remote, hard to access, with many in Oaxaca not even knowing of its existence.
Maximum Impact Coffee
There are multiple aspects of impact to consider. At Raw Material, they are concerned about the impact across three main dimensions, weighted in this order:
1. Economic impact
Enabling economic freedom for people working in coffee. In particular, those for whom coffee is a large proportion of their household income. They focus where improvement in income levels, volatility, or payment timing will most likely have a significant influence on wellbeing. Enabling this economic impact through an improved system is the core focus of our work, measured at both the household and community level.
2. Social impact
Contributing to the development of and sharing of knowledge across all participants in the coffee sector, to enable improved inclusive income opportunities and community wellbeing. For example, working with producers to improve production practices; training cuppers and graders in remote regions to recognise quality early and empower marginalised groups; working with roasters to adopt buying practices that include stable prices and long-term planning.
3. Environmental impact
The long-term sustainability of the coffee sector, both economically and environmentally. Through their work, Raw Material can help develop and share environmentally sustainable practices. These are designed in the context of local constraints, including transition, hidden, and ongoing costs, in order to improve viability and the likelihood of long-term adoption.