Published March 2008
The Malinal Cooperative yields superb beans that are organic, shade-grown, and “Utz-certified” — meaning that the coffee is grown in accordance with an explicit social and environmental code of conduct. Our NYC Regional Manager, Mike White, took a richly educational journey to the Malinal farms.
Johnny Coffeebean
Mike was hosted by San Cristobal Coffee Importers, founded by James Kosalos, who also cofounded the Specialty Coffee Association of America. As Mike puts it,
"He's devoted his life to teaching sustainability and quality to farmers who traditionally have not used much methodology in growing their crops — mobile cupping labs, database software, schools. He's like Johnny Appleseed."
In collaboration with Cafes Sustentables de Mexico and local cooperatives, San Cristobal has dramatically improved agricultural practices. At the flourishing farms of the Malinal cooperative, these methods are paying off in quality coffee.
The Landscape
The Malinal farms are located in the state of Narayit, on a mountainside near the capital city of Tepic. It's typical coffee-growing country: high-altitude, steep hillsides, tree canopies that lean over narrow dirt roads. But if you travel 15 miles in any direction, the landscape changes dramatically. Travel a little northwest, and the Rio Tepic flattens into a lowland estuary covered in mangrove trees. A little further west and south, and you've reached beachfront property on the Pacific Ocean. Along with coffee, eco-tourism is a thriving trade.
Tracking Quality
Roasting and brewing are only the last steps in a very long coffee chain. Every step in coffee production affects the flavor of the final coffee, but the entire process is too complex to track without help. That's why Cafes Sustenables has established offices, called “beneficios,” that log every detail from seed to cup. By processing coffee lots separately and cupping them for quality, farmers are able to track the factors that make for higher-quality results.
"Farmers are not simply paid premiums for great coffee; they are taught how to evaluate their harvests and to continuously improve their crops, thereby providing not only incentive to grow great coffee, but the knowledge and information required to do so year after year."
Data-tracking is one of the most valuable tools the Malinal farmers use to shape their coffee.
Mexico Offerings
The quality of Malinal coffee shows in the cup. The beans are bursting with flavor — you can tell when we're roasting Malinal because the black cherry aroma fills the entire building. If you'd like to try Malinal coffee for yourself, stop into one of our espresso bars, or order online to have Mexico Medium or Mexico Dark delivered to your door.
Why Travel?
Each year, we send a few Gimme! staff members to visit farms that produce amazing coffee. By “traveling to origin” we learn about sustainable agriculture, experience farming first-hand, and cultivate relationships with growers. Sometimes we discover a fantastic new coffee along the way. We always return home with a deeper understanding of the people and ecosystems that fill our daily cup.
Learn more about traveling to origin.