Coordinadora Nacional de Organizaciones Cefetaleras, Mexico

The National Coordination of Coffee Growers Organizations consists of 68,577 members belonging to 114 regional organizations in Chiapas, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosi, and Veracruz, representing several ethnic group including Tzotziles, Tzletales, Tojolabales, Choles, Huastecos, Nahuas, Totnacos, Thapanecos, Mazatecos, Zapotecos, Mixtecos, Chinantecos, and Triquis. Established in 1989 by coffee growers with more than 10 years experience and at least two hectares of cultivation, the Coordinadora is based on the principles of communal action to confront communal problems, and provides mutual support, a democratic decision-making process, political plurality, and autonomy.

The CNOC aims to promote regional economic development based on collective capitalization, to raise the standard of living and to strengthen the peasant family. The strategy to achieve these goals is through appropriate production, industrialization and marketing, and control of financial vehicles. It is a four-pronged approach of marketing, financing, training and technical assistance, and organizing.

For CNOC the protection of natural resources is key to its working strategy. Approximately 10% of its members are organic farmers. The Coordinadora is a member of the Association of Mexican Ecological Farmers (AMAE) and several of its members form part of the International Federation of Organic Farming (IFOAM).

CNOC's coffee production of 78 million pounds a year, represents 15% of the national production, with approximately 20% exported through its marketing facility, Promotora De Cafes Suaves Mexicanos S.A. De C.V. CNOC has an office in the United States which sells its coffee under the Aztec Harvests label.

CNOC promotes processes for the convergence of regional, national, and international interests. They participate in the Union of small and medium-sized producers of coffee in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean (UPROCAFE) and in the Cooperative Society of Small Coffee Producers (SCPP) where both Latin America and African producers are members.

CNOC is also active in democratic movements in Mexico such as the Civic Alliance Observation 94, an organization created by the people to oversee the electoral process in 1994. Mindful of the need to promote coffee consumption in Mexico and to narrow the gap between producer and consumer, CNOC is organizing an exhibition titled "What is behind a cup of coffee". Like other groups of agricultural producers, CNOC has many problems and faces several challenges in production, finances, marketing, politics, and transportation infrastructure.