Ues
UES: Coffee Producer in Mexico
Union de Ejidos y Comunidades San Fernando (UES), is a coffee co-operative based in Chiapas estate, Mexico, which was established in 1984 and is committed to the production of Fairtrade certified, specialty coffee.
Today, UES supports 906 farmer members with a stable income, in addition to delivering consistent technical assistance to improve coffee quality and productivity on their farms.
Each UES member works to firm Fairtrade principles, enabling the co-operative to access a growing specialty coffee market and reach buyers across the globe, including longstanding Shared Interest partner and ethical coffee retailer, Cafedirect.
Image: Silvia Herrera, Commercial and Financial Manager at UES, assesses the aroma of her co-operative's coffee as part of the coffee cupping process.
Credit: Cafédirect
Mayan Gold: How UES have Pioneered the Production of Prized Fairtrade Coffee
Cafédirect, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024, is an ethical retailer and one of the first companies to sell Fairtrade certified coffee in 1994. It was at this time, in the early '90s, that Cafédirect began working with UES and sourcing coffee from the co-operative. Today, coffee from UES can be found in Cafédirect's Mayan Gold, available here.
UES Financial and Commercial Manager, Silvia Herrera, recently visited the UK and participated in celebrations for the Fairtrade Foundation’s 30th anniversary. Silvia also visited longstanding UES buyer Cafédirect. The coffee industry won’t survive without its growers - and they won’t survive if they can’t invest in their farms and take care of their families; through Cafédirect's direct farmer relationships, they are able to understand and respond to the needs of farmers, supporting the future of good coffee.
Silvia said:
“Cafédirect shows there are alternative ways of working – partnerships, where all the voices are equal. We’re sharing values – like caring for people and the environment.”
As well as setting the bar for sustainably sourced, Fairtrade coffee across the globe, UES also maintains a strong local impact, ensuring its members are comprehensively supported with resources and training.
The co-operative has worked to improve coffee-drying patios for 289 of its members, to bolster efficiency during the harvest season.
Income diversification is another initiative UES are promoting to ensure its members are sufficiently supported, which has involved the implementation of a food safety project and vegetable plantations on members' farms.
In 2022, UES launched production of organic fertilisers for 100 of its members, in collaboration with the German Agency for International Cooperation, which provided delivery of related technical assistance and training.
UES, café, México
UES (Unión de Ejidos y Comunidades San Fernando, S.P.R. de R.I.) ha tomado la delantera en la implementación de las mejores prácticas agrícolas y en la producción de alta calidad. La organización está conformada por de 1,379 productores de café del estado de Chiapas, en el Pacífico Sur de México.
En 2014, sus plantaciones de café fueron seriamente afectadas por la roya. UES preparó un plan de renovación para rehabilitar sus cultivos y presentó una solicitud de crédito a Shared Interest
Silvia Herrera, la Asistente de la Gerencia General, dijo:
“Nosotros estamos muy agradecidos con Shared Interest por creer en nuestro programa de renovación de cafetales. Nuestra producción en la última cosecha se incrementó en 29% gracias a este plan. Nuestros socios ahora cuentan con fincas más sanas y la roya está bajo control.”
Un compromiso con la naturaleza
En el largo plazo, tanto como prevenir la propagación de la roya, se está esperando un incremento de la producción de café en un 48%.
Los productores de UES no sólo se preocupan por la mejora de la producción y calidad de su café. Dado que se trata de una empresa social, UES desarrollo proyectos en favor de la comunidad que se ajustan a las necesidades de sus socios productores. Incluso UES está trabajando con el gobierno para mejorar las condiciones de vivienda de los agricultores.
UES afirmó: “El compromiso que nosotros tenemos con la naturaleza y el amor por el campo nos impulsan a continuar con la producción orgánica, y no sólo eso, sino que a buscar alternativas que nos permitan devolver un poco de lo que la tierra nos ha dado. Nosotros vivimos en un lugar privilegiado, donde la tierra, el agua y el clima se nos ofrecen para la producción de café”
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