Jenna Foxton’s Journey: Documenting an All-Women Indigenous Coffee Collective in Mexico

In the heart of the Chiapas Highlands in southern Mexico, photographer Jenna Foxton embarked on a remarkable journey alongside an all-women team from Yallah, a coffee roastery based in Cornwall with a noble vision of promoting social, economic, and environmental prosperity through its business, and Ensambles, a green coffee exporter committed to strengthening female bonds within the coffee industry.

The destination was the town of San Cristobal de las Casas, where they met the inspiring women of the Sat Kajpel Antsetik Cooperative. Translating to “coffee with a woman’s face,” this cooperative is a powerhouse of 58 women hailing from the indigenous Tseltal community. Supported by COFEMO, an organization dedicated to closing gender gaps, enhancing educational access, and empowering marginalized communities in Chiapas for over 30 years, these women are making waves in the coffee world.

When Foxton captured the women on camera, their traditional attire strikingly complemented the deep red hues of the coffee berries they were harvesting. It was a visual harmony that spoke volumes about their connection to the land and their coffee-growing heritage.

The visit began with a shared coffee moment, where the Yallah team and Foxton engaged with the producers. These women not only grow, harvest, clean, and dry the coffee berries but also painstakingly maintain their farms in Tenejapa. After the coffee chat, they were given a tour of the female – run plantation, getting an up – close look at the hard work and dedication that goes into every step of the coffee production process.

However, the path for these female coffee producers has been far from easy. Chiapas is Mexico’s leading coffee – producing state, exporting beans to major markets like Europe, Japan, and the US. Despite the significant presence of indigenous producers, who make up an estimated 61% of the region’s coffee growers, women in the coffee sector face systemic inequalities, particularly in areas such as labor, land ownership, and income distribution.

Historically, women in the region did not have property rights. Even today, only 27.7% of women in Chiapas hold land deeds. Millie Wood, a Yallah Coffee staff member on the trip, shared insights into the struggles these women face. “They explained how they have to balance family life with running the coffee farm, all while having far less access to education and land than their male counterparts,” she said.

Before the establishment of the cooperative in San Cristobal, many women in the community didn’t own any land. But with the cooperative’s support, some managed to negotiate with men in the community to obtain ownership of wasteland, which they transformed into thriving coffee plantations. Wood was deeply moved by their stories, revealing, “What surprised me the most was hearing about how the women have to wake up at 3 am, prepare food for the day, handle household chores, and then trek up the mountain with babies in tow, only to come back down with all the coffee they picked.”

Their unwavering resilience and dedication to bettering their lives for their families and communities are truly inspiring. It’s a humbling reminder of the countless hours of hard work that go into the coffee we often take for granted as a daily staple. Wood also pointed out that while some women may choose coffee production, for many, it’s a necessity rather than a choice.

Importantly, female coffee growers bring invaluable innovations and expertise to the industry. Their dedication, hard work, and wealth of experience in coffee cultivation are crucial for the growth and success of the coffee supply chain. Their contributions are in no way less significant than those of their male counterparts.