FAMILY TIES, FUTURE HARVEST
Renewing Mexico's
coffee industry
In Mexico, coffee farmers face significant environmental and economic challenges, which makes it difficult for young people considering a career in coffee. The project Jóvenes Renovando para el Futuro, which translates to Young People Renewing for the Future, helps young farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices and work with their family to transform the farm. Javier Anaya, Solidaridad’s Project Officer in Mexico, shares how the initiative is contributing to a resilient future.
For many young people with an interest in taking over their family’s farm, the economic and environmental challenges can be a barrier. The practices introduced in Young People Renewing for the Future are based on a Climate Smart Coffee model that was piloted in Chiapas, Mexico. This approach seeks to ensure environmental sustainability, and harmony and knowledge transfer among family members engaged in coffee farming.
The importance of family in the success of coffee farming
In Mexico, families play a central role in coffee farming in rural communities with high poverty levels. In most cases, farms are passed down from generation to generation, with the family managing production and maintaining agricultural knowledge and traditions. This legacy includes cultivation techniques, resource management, and sustainable practices essential for continuity and risk management.
My colleague, Melissa López, Gender and Social Inclusion Specialist at Solidaridad in Honduras, stresses the importance of family in farming communities:
"We genuinely believe that the inclusion and empowerment of women and youth are key to the sustainable development of coffee farming,” she says. “Young people play an essential role by introducing innovations and climate-friendly practices that contribute to more sustainable coffee farming and resilient communities."
A cohesive family means that each member contributes according to their skills and knowledge. While adults make strategic decisions about the production and management of the farm, young people have the chance to learn from their elders and contribute with innovation and sustainability.
Family and generational renewal in action
Fátima Ruiz exemplifies the positive role that families can play in coffee farming. Fátima is a young coffee smallholder who returned to her community to implement the Climate Smart Coffee model alongside her husband and father. She is also part of Café Metik, a women-led coffee roastery. This initiative, led by women from her community, has succeeded in marketing roasted and ground coffee, strengthening the local economy and empowering women in the coffee industry.
Similar to Fatima, Jonathan Velasco returned to Mexico after working in the United States, and has worked with his wife to renovate a coffee farm using climate-smart practices.
Intergenerational collaboration: A foundation for resilience & sustainability
In the long-term, intergenerational collaboration can help small-scale coffee farms succeed. Every family member with the interest can play a vital role in ensuring the continuity of cultivation and the transmission of values and skills. The openness of young people to new ways of working can help families adopt agroforestry and regenerative agriculture practices promoted by the Climate Smart Coffee model. These practices support biodiversity conservation, environmental care and economic success.
We believe that families can adapt to market changes and economic challenges by diversifying income sources and implementing sound financial practices. Family cohesion, along with a shared vision of the importance of sustainability, ensures a mutually supportive environment crucial during difficult times.
A sustainable & replicable model for the future
The family not only acts as the backbone of daily operations, but also plays a crucial role in strategic decision-making and implementing innovations. As young people take a more active role in coffee farming, a project like Young People Renewing for the Future demonstrates that it is possible to build a more resilient and sustainable coffee industry by empowering new generations and promoting a generational renewal with a strong environmental and social commitment.
Intergenerational collaboration, the central role of the family, and the empowerment of young people and women in coffee farming are key elements to ensuring a sustainable future in Mexico.
In viewing the family as the core axis of transformation, the Young People Renewing for the Future project establishes a replicable and adaptable model. This initiative marks a milestone in the history of coffee farming, promoting a more prosperous and sustainable environment for coffee-growing communities.
Article originally published in Spanish on LinkedIn by Javier Anaya, Project Officer at Solidaridad in Mexico.
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