Farmer Led Agroforestry in Mexico’s Coffee Lands

The coffee rust fungus, La Roya in Spanish, has decimated hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland throughout Latin America. La Roya, supercharged by climate change, is also a major contributor to rural poverty throughout Latin American coffee lands. 

The Coalition of Ejidos of the Costa Grande of Guerrero’s goal is to rehabilitate coffee farms negatively impacted by La Roya by replanting farms with rust fungus resistant coffee trees, as well as shade trees to provide important habitat, and fruit trees for food security. By collecting native varieties of local species, including oaks, farmers will preserve biodiversity while creating important microclimates for coffee trees. 

By establishing local nurseries and providing farmer training, the Coalition aims to support 50 farmers in rehabilitating their farms all while reviving local traditional knowledge of agroecological farming. 

Grow Ahead’s funds will support the Coalition of Ejidos of the Costa Grande of Guerrero’s existing programming and member investments in infrastructure and training. 

The Project Aims To: 

• Rehabilitate 50 coffee farms in seven communities.  
• Provide technical assistance and accompaniment to coffee farmers in the Costa Grande region of Guerrero, Mexico. 
• Plant 50,000 heirloom coffee trees, 10,000 fruit trees and 15,000 shade trees.  
• Establish a community nursery to propagate native tree species, including oaks. 
• Facilitate agroecological training via the network of Latin American Institute of Agroecology (IALA)