Social dimensions of organic coffee production in Mexico: Lessons for eco-labeling initiatives

Significant attention has been given to the relationship between small coffee farms and biodiversity in recent years. This article argues that the interest in "bird-friendly" coffees and other forms of biodiversity marketing have much to learn from the 15-year development of another relatively successful, environmentally friendly coffee product: certified organic coffee. This Mexican case study argues that organic coffee emerged as a result of a series of institutional transformations that, in interaction with particular ecosystems, have left their imprint on the agricultural landscape. The emergence of organic coffee in Mexico arose from more than a decade of populist agrarian organizing and accompanying organizational innovations, and depended upon the substantial amount of preexisting "social capital accumulation" in the Mexican countryside. Eco-labeling efforts focus on certification criteria and marketing, and pay insufficient attention to the social processes that can lead to the outcome of a sustainable product and sustainable agricultural landscapes.