La Taza Habla

Mexican Coffee - Why Organic Was an Accident

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How is it that the number one producer of organic coffee in the world has hungry coffee farmers?  In this episode of La Taza Habla, we unpack the Paradox of Fragility that defines Mexican Coffee. Unlike other origins, Mexico’s coffee culture was built from the bottom up by smallholder farmers and indigenous communities—an "accident of history" caused by the Spanish obsession with gold over agriculture .


We begin with the sensory ritual of Café de Olla—brewed in clay pots with piloncillo (raw cane sugar) and cinnamon—before diving into the economic devastation of 1989. That year, the government agency INMECAFE vanished overnight, leaving half a million farmers exposed to predatory "coyotes" and the  free market . You’ll discover how this collapse forced farmers to adopt organic coffee farming not as an environmental trend, but as a survival strategy because they simply couldn't afford chemicals . Join us for a story of resilience, from the Mexican Revolution to the 90+ point scores in today's Cup of Excellence.

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    • 5 Takeaways

    1. Context Over Purity: While specialty coffee often obsesses over clean cups, the Mexican ritual of Café de Olla prioritizes context. The clay pot imparts an ancient, mineral quality, while spices like cinnamon and star anise create a "sensory time machine" .

    2. Indigenous Roots: Unlike other regions dominated by European plantations, Mexican coffee was largely preserved by indigenous communities in Chiapas and Oaxaca because colonial Spain viewed agriculture as a "side hustle" to mining .

    3. The Vacuum of Power: The rapid dissolution of INMECAFE in 1989 serves as a cautionary tale. Without a transition plan, farmers lost access to credit and transport instantly, forcing them to abandon farms or sell to predatory middlemen .

    4. Accidental Organic Leaders: Mexico became the global leader in organic coffee out of necessity, not ideology. When government credit vanished, farmers couldn't afford fertilizers, making organic certification their only viable market differentiation .

    5. Resilience is Quality: Despite the devastation of the La Roya (Leaf Rust) virus in 2012, cooperatives rebuilt their industry. Today, Mexican coffees from Veracruz and Puebla rank 10th globally and consistently hit top-tier quality scores.

      3 Questions

      1. The host describes Café de Olla as a "sensory time machine." What specific coffee ritual transports you to a different time or place?
      2. We learned that Mexico's organic dominance was born from poverty. Does understanding this economic reality change how you view the "Organic" label on store shelves?
      3. "Como México no hay dos" (There is no other like Mexico). How does the history of indigenous smallholders make Mexican coffee distinct from plantation-heavy origins like Brazil?

        4. Glossary

        1. Café de Olla Literally "Coffee of the pot." A traditional Mexican coffee ritual brewed in a clay pot with cinnamon, piloncillo (sugar), star anise, and sometimes cloves. It dates back to the Mexican Revolution of 1910.
        2. Como México no hay dos A saying unique to Mexico that translates to "There is not two of them" or "There is no other like Mexico." It is a declaration of uniqueness and national pride, which also applies to the distinctiveness of Mexican coffee.
        3. Cooperatives Collective groups formed by farmers after the 1989 government crash. These groups pooled resources to buy processing equipment, share transportation, and negotiate with buyers to survive without state support.
        4. Coyotes Predatory middlemen who appeared after the dissolution of INMECAFE. They exploited farmers by buying beans for "pennies on the pound" and reselling them at a profit when farmers had no other way to reach the market.
        5. Cup of Excellence A prestigious global coffee competition that held events in Mexico in 2024 and 2025, highlighting the country's resurgence with multiple coffees scoring above 90 points.
        6. INMECAFE (Instituto Mexicano del Café) A government agency created in 1973 that acted as a safety net for farmers, providing technical support, credit, and guaranteed purchases. It was dissolved overnight by President Salinas in 1989, leading to a crisis for smallholders.
        7. La Roya The "coffee leaf rust" virus that devastated crops across the Americas, including Mexico, starting in 2012. It attacks the root system and causes leaves to fall off, preventing the plant from producing berries.
        8. Organic Certification In the context of Mexican history, this was adopted as a "survival strategy" rather than an environmental ideology. Following the economic crash, farmers could not afford chemical fertilizers, so they marketed their coffee as organic to differentiate themselves and survive.
        9. Paradox of Fragility The central theme of the episode describing Mexico's coffee industry. It contrasts with Colombia's "Paradox of Plenty," highlighting the contradiction of being the world's number one producer of organic coffee while the farmers themselves experience seasonal hunger.
        10. Piloncillo Raw, earthy cane sugar used in Café de Olla. It resembles a "hardened brick of molasses" and dissolves into boiling water to sweeten the coffee.
          11. ...more
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          La Taza HablaBy doncox