Origin: Mexico – Fair Trade Organic

GRAPOS or Grupo de Asesores de Producción Orgánica y Sustentable S.C. is a group of coffee producers in the

state of Chiapas in the southern Mexico in an area that borders la Biósfera del Triunfo or Triunfo Biosphere

Reserve, from which Café Imports has also purchased coffee.

GRAPOS was formed in 2007 and consisted of 90 member farmers. In 2016, the group now includes 3,253

member farmers and covers an area including the microregions of Soconusco, Siltepec, Porvenir and Tapachula

within Chiapas. Coffee from GRAPOS is cultivated on approximately 5,560 hectares and has an altitude range of

900 – 1600 masl. The harvest season is from November to March.

Members of GRAPOS are mainly smallholder farmers with an average of 3 hectares of land.

There are multiple coffee varieties grown including Tipica, Bourbon, Caturra, Mondo Novo and Catuaí. On average the coffee trees are 10 – 20 years old and annual production is equivalent to 0.5 metric tons (MT) of green coffee.

GRAPOS is certified Fair Trade and Organic. Additionally, provides essential services to its members including access to finance, technical assistance and community development programs.

Other economic activities of the group include mainly agriculture production of banana, squash, corn, black beans, cocoa and rambutan (a tropical tree that produces fruit of the same name). Members and their families also make handmade textiles for additional sources of income.