The Farmers

Maya Vinic is a cooperative of nearly 700 small-scale coffee growers from the municipalities of Chenalhó, Pantelhó and Chalchihuitán, in the Highlands of Chiapas. Maya Vinic means "Mayan Man" in the Mayan Tzotzil language. The cooperative chose Maya Vinic for their name because they are motivated and inspired by the knowledge and wisdom of their Mayan ancestors who organized themselves and made decisions collectively. Keeping with their ancestral traditions, the members of Maya Vinic have chosen to utilize a portion of the entire coffee revenue to develop their business with all remaining earnings distributed to farmer families and their communities. Fair trade revenues is providing Maya Vinic with a much deserved income.

In Their Words...

Maya Vinic is dedicated to working cooperatively and in harmony with the earth. In their view, the mother earth "is what feeds us, sustains us and - when our time has come to an end on earth - will welcome us with a motherly love." For this reason, Maya Vinic is consciously practicing sustainable farming and processing techniques. Coffee trees are grown under shade trees to provide the necessary habitat for various species of native birds. The cooperative is certified organic by its local certifier, Certimex. The certification allows them to demand a higher price from local and international coffee buyers, thus ensuring better care for their families as well as mother earth.

A Courageous History

Maya Vinic, while struggling to survive the international coffee crisis, was also the unfortunate victims of a low-intensity war waged against the indigenous people of Chiapas. Las Abejas (The Bees), the civil society organization from which Maya Vinic was born, has been an outspoken proponent for indigenous rights since its inception in 1992. As a result, the people of Maya Vinic and Las Abejas have been continually harassed, intimidated, and ultimately murdered for their nonviolent and persistent demand for an end to oppression and eradication of Mayan indigenous people, which began over 500 years ago with the conquest of Latin America by the Spanish.

This harassment reached its most gruesome point on December 22nd, 1997 when paramilitary troops entered Acteal - home to the present day headquarters of Maya Vinic - and massacred 45 members of the community as they gathered in the local chapel to pray and fast for peace. To this day, many of the accused as well as their weapons remain at large and the people of Maya Vinic are still being victimized for their demand for indigenous rights. But, the spirit of the Mayan people remains strong; a nonviolent inspiration to many throughout the world. Recently, the ex-president of Maya Vinic and a spokesperson for Las Abejas Civil Society, Augustin Vasquez, traveled to France to receive the French Peace Prize in recognition of their non-violent approach to the low intensity war taking place in Chiapas today.

To learn more about Maya Vinic and Las Abejas, visit our news updates section, join us on our delegations to Chiapas, or visit the Maya Vinic website.