Honorato - Third Generation Coffee Producer Yosonicaje

Producer Profile

Honorato is a third-generation coffee producer born in 1959 who takes great pride in his community of Yosonicaje. He speaks both Mixteco and Spanish, representing the rich cultural heritage of his region.

Journey & Resilience

At age 41, Honorato left his community in search of better job opportunities. He returned in 2000 and faced the challenge of starting from scratch—his father, who would have maintained the farm in his absence, had fallen ill. Honorato dedicated himself to revitalizing the farm while preserving many of the varieties that his grandparents and parents had planted.

In 2010, Honorato's father passed away, leaving him fully in charge of the farm. That same year, he obtained employment with a coffee company where he gained valuable knowledge about farm management and agronomy. This experience taught him about potential threats to coffee plants, prompting him to replant with rust and borer-resistant varieties. When these pests arrived in 2013, a large portion of both his traditional plants and newer hybrids survived without damage.

Farm Operations - Tierra Roja

Processing Methods

Honorato operates his own washing station at his house, where he:

• Ferments coffee in wooden tanks for 18-24 hours
• Dries coffee on patios for 8-10 days

Agricultural Practices

At his farm Tierra Roja ("Red Earth" in Spanish), Honorato employs careful spacing:

• Row Distance: 2 meters between rows
• Plant Distance: 1.5 meters between seedlings
• Row Separation: Strategic placement of plants to separate rows and maintain proper coffee tree spacing

Shade Management

Honorato uses native trees including ice cream bean trees and avocado to provide shade for his coffee trees. These shade trees offer multiple benefits:

• Natural shade coverage
• Food production
• Ornamental value
• Medicinal properties
• Construction materials
• Water retention

The Oaxaca Sourcing Landscape

Unique Challenges & Opportunities

The Oaxaca sourcing landscape is uniquely decentralized, presenting both challenges and opportunities for sourcing companies and the communities they work with. Unlike many other parts of Latin America, associations and cooperatives are not as integral to the structure in Oaxaca.

Historical Context

The absence of strong cooperative structures stems from past mismanagement by cooperatives in the region. This dynamic led producers to seek trustworthy direct buyers and pursue higher prices for their coffee through direct trade relationships.

Market Evolution

Several factors have contributed to the current direct trade landscape in Oaxaca:

• Producer Initiative: A decade-long push by producers to find direct buyers and secure higher prices
• Quality Recognition: National and regional competitions (including those held by Red Fox) have increased attention to Oaxacan coffee as a specialty product
• Producer Confidence: Competitions have bolstered producer confidence in their coffee's value
• Local Market Development: Mexico's developed specialty café scene has created a local roasting market willing to purchase high-quality coffee
• Buyer Standards: Producers seek buyers who offer high prices, reliable payment, and year-over-year consistency

Trust & Relationship Building

Rebuilding broken trust has been the most challenging aspect of sourcing work in Oaxaca. Many buyers over the years have made promises of high prices but failed in delivery. This history has made Oaxacan producers particularly sensitive to trusting buyers for future payment.

Financing has become a crucial component, as producers are especially wary of delayed payment arrangements. Through consistent delivery on promises year after year, trust has gradually increased, leading to:

• Producers bringing family, friends, and neighbors into relationships
• Voluntary community organization
• Stronger, more sustainable partnerships

The communities in this region have been waiting for honest buyers who treat their product with respect, and establishing that trust has created a foundation for meaningful, long-term relationships.