Bella Vista, Chiapas
It’s hard to say which shines brighter — this delicious coffee or the dynamic force behind it. Let’s start with Rosalba Cifuentes Tovía, founder of coffee import/export company Mayan Harvest.
Rosalba grew up in the rural coffee community of Bella Vista in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico. Her family struggled to make ends meet, sometimes with no food on the table. When Rosalba came to the San Francisco Bay Area, on her own with her two young daughters, it was her first time in America and first time in a city. Rosalba did not know how to read or speak English but made her way, building a life for herself and her children. Yet a lingering passion to lift the people of her homeland spurred Rosalba to draw on what she knew — coffee. With quiet strength, she built a network within San Francisco area coffee circles and sought out assistance from the Mexican consulate in launching her own import/export business.
And Rosalba went home to Bella Vista’s highland coffee farms, with elevations of 4,900 – 5,413 feet and not far from the Mexico/Guatemala border. Working with producers from Bella Vista meant working with family and friends who are committed to this land where coffee has been responsibly grown for nearly 170 years. With them, Rosalba has grown Mayan Harvest into a source that is reliably representing some of the best in the region, deserving of the higher premiums Rosalba has made a priority.
This Mayan Harvest Women’s Coffee is a prime example. “I noticed there were many women producers,” she says, “and their coffee had a better selection — cleaner, with more dedication — so I thought, it’s worth separating out this coffee.” We are an avid supporter of women’s coffees. When income is placed in the hands of women within a community, the positive impact on families and social services is undeniable. With 168 women producers of small acreage farms contributing to this lot, we are extremely proud that it is among our offerings. Combine this with the direct traceability Rosalba brings to the export/import process and an exquisite taste that brings to mind notes of cherry, cream, and panela, this is a coffee you’ll feel good about buying and better about drinking.
