Finca Las Gravilias

About this coffee

Fabrizzio Marín Jiménez is a second-generation coffee farmer and has been growing certified organic coffee for 26 years. An important part of the certification is maintaining an extended area within the borders between Finca Las Gravilias and the neighbouring farms. The certification requires that any produce grown on the extended area is sold without its organic status. For Fabrizzio, this equates to around 5% of his annual crop. This organically grown but uncertifiable coffee is sold to the local markets. The uncertifiable coffee acts as a protection to absorb any restricted products which are not allowed in organic farming that might be used on the adjacent farms. Whether or not the products are used is irrelevant, a portion of the coffee crop must still be sacrificed to maintain certification. Shade trees, which grow higher and denser than coffee, are also grown on farm borders and used to shield the coffee. These are often fruit trees of some kind, such as jocote, which are managed organically.