Updates from Mayan Havevest in Bella Vista, Chiapas

We’re huge fans of coffee produced by the Bella Vista community in Chiapas, Mexico, and we know many of our customers are, too–we often get asked when we’ll have it back in stock. Last year, we had hopes of bringing in their coffee once again–but rough fluctuations in the coffee market and complications in logistics prevented our partners, Mayan Harvest, from sending out one last container of coffee bound for the US. Although we were disappointed it didn’t work out, we were still very happy to have received coffee produced by the Bella Vista Women’s Group a few months beforehand and feature it in our menu in the summer.

But a year later, things bounced back up. We picked up two lots again: we just finished our first run of the coffee produced by the Family of Rosalba Cifuentes, founder of Mayan Harvest–and now we have the community lot back into our rotation. Its flavor profile has remained consistent: it’s smooth but has a little heft, giving us notes of dried mango, milk chocolate, and almond. 

While we’re excited to celebrate the return of this coffee, we have some uneasy news to share. A few months ago, the Mayan Harvest team let us know that several farmers in Bella Vista have reached out and confirmed that cartel activity in the state of Chiapas is spreading and has reached Bella Vista. While Guatemala and Mexican armies have been deployed to help control the situation in larger cities, smaller communities including Bella Vista are vulnerable, and it only takes a few armed people to terrorize and shut down entire communities.

Some farmers have already decided to abandon their homes and farms, but for the many who are unable to do so, they are taking it week by week. Farmers are concerned about the possibility of being prevented from selling their coffees to Mayan Harvest when the season arrives, but Rosalba and the Mayan Harvest team are committed to the community at large. They are in regular contact with farmers and transit companies to assess the situation, and are continuing to explore all the possibilities to safely move coffee out of Bella Vista.

It’s not easy hearing news like this from our coffee partners, and it certainly doesn’t feel great to share it, either. But we feel it’s important to bring awareness to our customers and will continue to share updates when we receive them. We hope the best for Mayan Harvest and the Bella Vista community, and hope we can continue our support by purchasing their coffee again next year.

To learn more about Mayan Harvest, check out our five-part blog series that we wrote a few years ago during our visit.