Daniel Cifuentes

Daniel Cifuentes is one of 11. His family has been growing coffee since the Germans indentured them in the early 1800’s. Coffee is believed to have come to Mexico via Cuba and Espanola, (Haiti/Dominican Republic) in the late 1700’s. Germans started large coffee plantations or fincas in Chiapas and hired the locals to tend the fields. Fincas were like little company towns and before long the employees or peones, owed their soul to the owners and managers of the fincas. Daniel’s family worked for the Germans and won the land back through the Mexican Revolution.

Daniel came to Agua Prieta for work. He did not come to cross into the USA. Other friends had told him of employment in Agua Prieta and as there was nothing viable in Chiapas, he came to find work. There is a lot of work to be done in Chiapas, hard manual work that pays less than a dollar an hour… Daniel went from the southern border to the northern border. His community is about as far south as is possible and still be in Mexico.

“Our coffee has value, and we the growers are not being paid for this value.” Daniel was right and it was his dream to be able to receive a fair and just price for the coffee from his community. The coffee from this part of Chiapas is excellent. Known for low acidity and high drinkability, this coffee is about as smooth and naturally sweet as is possible.

Daniel was the first official employee of Café Justo / Just Coffee and is one of the founders. He continues to oversee the operations in Agua Prieta and is always on hand at the shop to meet visitors and retell the story of how the cooperative got started and why the coffee is so good. His family in Salvador Urbina Chiapas is as gracious and loving as Daniel and are on the “must see” list of people to visit in Salvador Urbina.