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

 

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