Yachil Xojobal Chulchán and Yochin Tayel Kinal

Yachil Xojobal Chulchán

The cooperative's name means 'New light in the sky' in Tzotzil. It is located in Caracol Oventik near San Cristóbal de las Casas, where the Zapatista revolt began in the nineties and the renowned peace negotiations were held in nearby San Andrés. Oventik also has a boots factory.
Yachil has been one of the first Zapatista coffee cooperatives. This coop is organising about 700 farmers. The coop's Mesa Directiva has seven members who are working honorarily as Cargo - as usual in Zapatista organisations. This structure is exchanged regularly to prevent the development of informal hierarchies. Among others, Bourbon, Cattura, Arabe and Gernica are cultivated. Besides certified organic coffee for export, they also produce coffee for the local market. The cooperative has a Bodega for coffee processing and storage and a small office in Caracol. Three years ago, the coop established another office in San Cristobal de las Casas.

Yochin Tayel Kinal

The Zapatista cooperative Yochin Tayel Kinal (from indigenous Tzeltal 'We are coming to work the earth') is situated in the Southern Mexican region of Chiapas and was established in 2000 as Sociedad de Producción Rural, SPR (cooperative of rural production). Yochin's 350 farmers and members come from the Altamirano, Chilón, San Juan Cancuc, Oxchuc, and Ococingo provinces and belong to Zapatista Caracol IV in the Morelia community in Altamirano province.

More information on the organisation of Zapatista coffee cooperatives

Zapatista communities in South Mexican Chiapas