CESMACH

cesmach, campesinos ecologicos de la sierra madre de chiapas, is a smallholder cooperative based in jaltenango, chiapas, mexico. member farms sit inside the el triunfo biosphere reserve in the sierra madre range, at elevations between 1,200 and 1,750 masl, close to the guatemalan border near huehuetenango. each member holds a plot averaging four hectares or fewer, and the cooperative represents producers across 32 communities. primary varieties are bourbon, typica, and mundo novo, processed washed, with harvest running january through april. cesmach holds organic and fair trade certifications. a notable internal program, started in 2005 by six founding members, works to formally integrate women producers, who now number more than 225 within the cooperative, including single mothers, widows, and farmers whose husbands have emigrated. the cooperative commercialises its coffee through third-party importers rather than selling direct, so roasters typically access cesmach lots via established specialty importers such as cafe imports. minimum purchase volumes are generally structured at container level. cup scores on commercial lots have been reported around 81, with consistent quality cited across multiple crop years.