The Sierra Madre region in Southern Mexico is characterized by poor infrastructure, high rates of illiteracy and unemployment, and low life expectancy.
In an effort to address these hardships, community leaders have founded an organic coffee-producing co-operative called the Indigenous Peoples of the Sierra Madre of Motozintla (ISMAM). The Co-op was set up to meet problems of low productivity, poor marketing conditions and the extreme poverty of farming families. It was agreed from the start that the Co-op members would farm using organic techniques to improve quality. Through these techniques the Co-operative was able to overcome soil degradation and low yields and move into a privileged speciality market that rewarded its extra efforts towards ecologically responsible production.
Background
ISMAM’s members are almost 99% indigenous, made up of Mam, Mache, Tzotzi, Tojolaba, Jacaleco, and Tzeltal Indians. The traditional knowledge and technologies of these people have provided the basis of the organic methods they employ today. These include the use of composts and natural fertilizers. All of ISMAM’s coffee is grown at high altitudes ranging from 4,800 feet to 5,400 feet. The native Mayan farmers on the volcanic highland grow all their coffee using traditional methods, thereby preserving the tropical forest, protecting flora and fauna, and avoiding any chemical pollutants.
The Co-operative’s aims are to:
bypass the middlemen through direct marketing
gain political independence via self sufficiency
make democratic decision within and among communities
develop a sustainable rural infrastructure
improve child welfare, including education and nutrition
defend its indigenous cultural identity
A fair return
ISMAM is organized along egalitarian, democratic lines that stress responsibility to the Co-operative, hard work and high farming standards of its members.
Every farmer gets paid on a work-share basis rather than by how much each individual farm yields. The farmers work in groups of 10 smallholdings, with each group electing one representative annually to the Co-operative's congress. Farmers respect this work-share scheme because it increases the value of the harvest, as all smallholdings must be certified organic before they can join. Farms vary in size between 1 and 10 acres and members participate equally in tasks so standards are consistently high on each of their 10 farming units.
Marketing
With the goal of penetrating global coffee markets, the ISMAM formed a partnership with the German coffee-roasting company Niehoff and the French importer Schorn SA in late 2002. The Co-operative and the two European firms each have a 33 percent stake in the deal. This is unusual - until recently, coffee producers, exporters and distributors have largely been alienated from one another and have often fought over competing interests. "For the members of the cooperative, this partnership offers the possibility of having a stable market with fixed prices, continued growth and the possibility of finding cheaper financing than in Mexico”, says Jorge Aguilar, ISMAM's commercial advisor.
ISMAM’s farms, milling, and transport operations have received six independent organic certifications: S.K.A.L/ECO in the Netherlands, Naturland in Germany, V.S.B.L.O. in Switzerland, O.C.I.A. International in the U.S and Canada, Biodynamic Institute for Rural Studies of Brazil, and A.M.A.E. in Mexico.
Cultivating freedom
The political climate in Chiapas has become increasingly turbulent since the emergence of the Zapatista National Liberation Army, which led an armed uprising against the government in the name of Indian rights in 1994. A backlash by anti-Zapatista paramilitaries, religious clashes and ethnic disputes have brought even greater strife to the nation's poorest state.
Interestingly, members of the Co-operative view the partnership as a viable alternative to fights over personal or group interests. "Instead of joining the government or armed uprising, we've opted for a third way of economic development," Aguilar argues. The new partnership has the advantage of controlling everything from cultivation to distribution, a significant plus in an industry just emerging from a years-long global crisis. "We offer a quality product processed with ecologically sound techniques," says Aguilar.
Results
After a decade of market growth, ISMAM members are proud of their economic viability. By basing their enterprise on smallholder organization and environmentally sound agricultural techniques, members now enjoy an improved income and social position. There are currently over 1500 indigenous smallholder families who participate in ISMAM.
This Co-operative has also made a significant contribution to sustainable agriculture and land-use management in the region. It has demonstrated the viability of organic farming methods for the development of smallholder agriculture, bringing about economic and environmental improvement.
Lessons learned
The most important element that contributed to the success of ISMAM has been the support of principal advisors in agronomic, organizational and marketing aspects. The loyal support of buyers during the early years within the organic and fair trade markets was also pivotal to success.
By working together, smallholders can organize an efficient and profitable agricultural and marketing enterprise that is able to respond to newly emerging market trends. If this is done efficiently it can lead to a more equal distribution of benefits and to the economic security of farming families. Solutions do exist for the revitalization of rural societies.
