Food 4 farmers
Food for Farmers
Farm to table takes on a whole new meaning for coffee farmers.
GloryBee has been working with Coffee Farmers in Mexico since 2011, and have begun working with the NGO Food for Farmers to seek coffee farmers with export quality honey. In this way we can support beekeepers along our supply chain.
- Coffee production has been found to double when purposely pollinated by honey bees
- Honey harvest provides an off season income for coffee farmers
- Honey sales provide an alternative source of income to deforestation should the coffee farms fail
- Honey production does not require ownership of land, making it an option for young people or disengaged members of the community
Coffee farmers rely on their coffee crops as a main source of income, but often face ‘thin months’ between harvests, or years in poverty if a coffee crop fail. Beekeeping for honey production and pollination solve social and environmental challenges.
By The Numbers
25 Number of beekeepers helped in 2017
$5,000 Number of beekeepers helped in 2017
90% of coffee production takes place in developing countries
40 lbs. One beehive can produce up to 40 pounds of honey
30% Increased income for farmers who keep bees through honey sales
Coffee Blossom Honey
Honey comes from the nectar collected by honey bees from beautiful and delicate coffee blossoms grown in the highlands region of Chiapas, Mexico.
About the Beekeeper
The story of Maya Vinic in the highlands of Chiapas Mexico is one story with a ray of hope for a more sustainable future for coffee farmers, and our beloved cup of joe.
Maya Vinic grew out of the peaceful indigenous civil society called Las Abejas (‘the bees’), and their story is rooted in the agricultural history of Chiapas, Mexico. As a collective initiative to improve the living situations of their farmers, Maya Vinic understands that in addition to providing a greater economic benefit, the co-op works for the dignity and fair treatment of its members through production and marketing. Their main priorities are to become more financially sustainable and self-sufficient, to provide members with technical assistance to better manage the coffee fields, bee hives and shade trees, to have more members certified organic, and to increase the productivity.
Maya Vinic is located in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas region of Mexico, in the biosphere reserve El Triunfo in the mountain rainforests. Protecting this delicate environment from harmful pesticides is important for the farmers and for the environment.