TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE ORGANIC COFFEE CHAINS: PERSPECTIVE OF COFFEE PRODUCERS IN LA FRAILESCA

Abstract

Market trends driven by global economic policies and consumption patterns emerging in industrialized countries continuously set quality standards for products like coffee. This research aimed to analyze the reconfiguration of actors within agrifood chains that alter the production of organic coffee. Adopting a qualitative approach based on the concept of Localized Agrifood Systems (SIAL), a group of producers from the Frailesca region in Chiapas, Mexico, was studied. Through purposive sampling, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted, a group meeting with producers was held, and non-participant observation was carried out to capture the intertwined processes and challenges in producing and marketing organic coffee. The findings reveal the reconfiguration of various actors (within the global-local framework), which has influenced local organization and coffee production. This results from global market trends, particularly those related to sustainable food production, internal organizational conflicts, and agreements to continue organic coffee production. It is concluded that these trends, which encompass a series of regulations, create disputes and challenges in the production and commercialization of the product.