The hidden backroom of Mexican coffee

An investigation conducted by the NGOs Empower and Coffee Watch has traced the origins of Nestlé and Starbucks products. The report reveals the firms’ abusive relationship with small producers, the pressures that farmers are subjected to, as well as the environmental impact of the coffee industry 

Feb 23, 2025 - 05:00
The hidden backroom of Mexican coffee
Producer Angélica Sarmiento cuts coffee berries at the Micaela farm in Xico, a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, in January 2025.

Cirio Ruiz walks through his farm and relives the moment he was arrested.

Seguir leyendoA person removes the husks from coffee cherries after they’ve been pulped, in the Mexican state of Veracruz.Cirio Ruiz, head of the Coatepec Regional Coffee Council Coffee seeds during the drying process, in the municipality of Úrsulo Galvan. Gaudencio Coavichi pulps coffee with his wife Magdalena and grandson Johan, at their home in Úrsulo Galvan.
Coffee beans during the drying process.Abandoned facilities of BEMEX-Coatepec, a now-shuttered coffee factory that opened during the Gustavo Díaz Ordaz administration (1964-1970)Coffee fruits harvested at the Micaela farm in Veracruz.