Café la Selva
Café la Selva is a chain of cafés that sell organically and sustainably grown coffee from indigenous Tojolabal and Tzeltales farming communities located in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. This pioneering initiative has taken advantage of growing international demand for sustainable, ethically-sourced coffee, and now has cafés in Europe and the United States. Profits from the enterprise have allowed participating community members to increase household incomes while simultaneously reducing their environmental impact.
Café La Selva has demonstrated that equitable relationships between the private sector and campesino communities are not only feasible but can be highly successful. This initiative is the result of the collaboration of the Unión de Ejidos de La Selva with small private investors, ensuring control over the entire chain of coffee production, providing indigenous farmers and coffee consumers with a more equitable and sustainable market for coffee in Mexico and abroad.
Key Facts
Equator Prize Winner: 2002
Founded: 1979
Location: Chiapas, Mexico
Beneficiaries: 2,000 union members and their families
Biodiversity: Lacondon Jungle
Case Study
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Related Multimedia Resources
Café la Selva, Mexico - Equator Prize 2002 Winner
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Equator Prize 2002
Latin America And The Caribbean
Biodiversity Conservation
Ecoagriculture and Food Security
Sustainable Forestry
Freshwater Management
Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change
Contact Information
David M. Velasco Samperio
Hacienda Molino de Flores
Mexico City, Mexico
Tel: +(52)9636322076
Email: laselv@prodigy.net.mx
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