Mexico - Alfonso Lopez - Washed Garnica

Description

Mexico - Alfonso Lopez - Washed Garnica Country: Mexico Region: Chiapas (Tenejapa) Producer: Alfonso López Farm: Beneficio Comunitario Sibactel de Cafeología Variety: Garnica Process: Washed Elevation: 1600 m.a.s.l. PRODUCER’S AND FARM This coffee comes to us through our partnership with Cafeología. Based in Chiapas, Mexico, Cafeología is dedicated to strengthening coffee communities by combining scientific research, education, and direct collaboration with producers. Their work supports small farmers , helping preserve traditional practices while fostering innovation and creating opportunities for future generations.  Beneficios Comunitarios embody Cafeología’s philosophy: open spaces where coffee sparks deep relationships among growers, families, and the Cafeología team. Each mill is a living classroom where empirical wisdom meets rigorous quality practice. Founded in 2020 in the Tseltal village of Sibactel, Tenejapa, Beneficio Comunitario Sibactel operates on a smaller scale than its sister mill in Aldama. Here, about 90 Tseltal producers bring freshly picked cherries not for full processing, but for guidance and support, since, by cultural tradition, most farmers wash, ferment, and dry their coffee at home using stone pilas and patio roofs.  Cafeología’s agronomy team walks the hills house to house, offering coaching on selective picking, flotation, and fermentation, later verifying moisture, water activity, and cup quality when parchment arrives at the mill for consolidation and export preparation. During harvest, Sibactel becomes a shared quality checkpoint, generating local jobs in parchment intake, defect sorting, and data logging. The mill’s courtyard also serves as a forum for neighbors to exchange knowledge on ripeness standards, drying tips, and seedling care for the next season. Today, these ninety hillside families transform dispersed backyard batches into a single, consistent, and traceable stream of coffee, showing that a community mill can be both a center of quality and a space of learning. PROCESS DESCRIPTION The traditional washed process in Tenejapa is an artisanal, community-based practice passed down through generations. Ripe cherries are carefully handpicked by families and depulped using shared manual machines or rudimentary tools. Fermentation takes place in cement tanks or plastic tubs for around 24 hours, with timing determined by experience. The beans are then washed in spring or river water, scrubbed by hand until the mucilage is fully removed and the water runs clear, a task often carried out collectively within families. Finally, the beans are dried under the sun on cement patios for about fifteen days until they reach the ideal moisture level. This method is not only a technique but an expression of inherited knowledge, identity, and deep connection to the natural environment. REGION Chiapas, located in southern Mexico, is a region celebrated for its diverse landscapes and rich cultural heritage. Its mountainous terrain, with altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 meters, provides the perfect environment for cultivating high-quality coffee. The combination of fertile volcanic soils, abundant rainfall, and varying microclimates allows Chiapas to produce coffees with distinctive flavor profiles, often characterized by bright acidity, fruity notes, and a smooth body. The coffee tradition in Chiapas is deeply rooted in the lives of its indigenous communities, who have been farming the land for generations. These smallholder farmers are committed to sustainable practices, preserving both the environment and their cultural legacy. Chiapas coffee is not just a product; it’s a reflection of the region’s natural beauty and the dedication of its people to crafting exceptional coffee.