For breakfast on Thursday, the group traveled to the offices of CEPCO (State Coordinator of Oaxaca Coffee Producers) and was engaged in a very lively discussion with CEPCO staff on the issues facing the coffee industry in Mexico.

CEPCO has played a critical role for more than a decade in opening fair trade market options for more than 20,000 small producers, particularly those producing organic coffee. By negotiating long-term fixed price contracts, they have been able to cushion organic coffee producers from the recent abrupt downturn in global coffee prices. However, as they explained to our group, the small, non-organic coffee producers have been hit hard to the point where they are unable to recoup their production costs. CEPCO is working hard to develop alternative methods to prevent small-scale coffee production collapses.

A highlight of this discussion was a commitment by GPC members to support CEPCO's efforts to promote fair trade and fair-pricing practices through consultations with Starbucks, the well-known Seattle-based coffee retailer.

Following breakfast, the group traveled to the small rural town of Zimatlán, where CENTEOTL bases its operations. CENTEOTL gave the group an extremely warm (and musical) welcome with the support of local musicians and presented their work in the areas of sustainable agriculture, alternative income-generation, environmental protection, and social development directed towards indigenous children and youth. This visit featured a tour through the organization's amaranth cultivation and processing sites. Amaranth is a nutritious grain that can be produced in culturally and environmentally sustainble ways.

Our time in Oaxaca concluded with a discussion hosted by Vamos about the role and capacity of diverse local actors to promote sustained and effective social change and development in Oaxaca. This discussion featured 15 representatives of local organizations with which Vamos works and highlighted the importance of citizen capacity and participation in the decisions that affect their lives in rural Mexico.

It was clear from the discussion how much the organizations valued the dialogue with GPC members. They expressed a desire to continue conversations with individual GPC members and with the group as a whole and welcomed the possibility of partnering with GPC members on concrete projects. Philip Walsh, Associate for Latin America at Synergos, is coordinating with both GPC members and our partner organizations in Oaxaca, Guanajuato and Mexico City to evaluate concrete opportunities for future activities and collaboration.

Concluding this discussion, the representatives of the local organizations presented each of the GPC members with a hand-made carpet with the logos of Synergos and the GPC to commemorate our visit. Armed with our souvenirs and strong impressions of the work being done in Oaxaca, the delegation departed for Guanajuato by private plane, which had been graciously offered by GPC Founding Members Alberto Baillères and Manuel Arango.

Upon arrival in Guanajuato, we were met by representatives of our host in that city, the Bajio Community Foundation (BCF), including Adriana Cortez and several BCF board members.

 
© 2002 The Synergos Institute

Participants at the site visit to CENTEOTL organized by the Vamos Foundation included children active in environmental education. This girl gave a presentation on how she and her family are involved in CENTEOTL's work.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Staff of CENTEOTL explain the use of equipment that processes amaranth, as Judith Hernstadt (left), Eleanor Gimon and an interpreter listen.