Julia Ortega Carballo of Puebla’s Finca Los Pinos recently earned a top spot at the 2021 Mexico Cup of Excellence.
BY CHRIS RYAN
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos courtesy of AMECAFÉ
Growing up in a coffee-growing family, Julia Ortega Carballo learned at an early age the steps to producing high-quality coffee. Tending to the lots in the state of Puebla in southeastern Mexico, she also observed how to conduct this process in a way that respects the land.
“My family taught me not only how to produce coffee, but to work responsibly,” Julia says, “as coffee is a crop with a great social and economic impact in the northern highlands of Puebla state and in the world.”
Fast forward to today, and Julia has built on those lessons to reach impressive heights: Last fall, she became the first coffee farmer in Mexico to earn Carbon Neutral certification for her farm, Finca Los Pinos, in Zihuateutla, Puebla. This summer, Finca Los Pinos attracted global attention with its performance at the 2021 Mexico Cup of Excellence (CoE). Its washed process Oro Azteca variety earned 15th place at the coffee quality competition with a score of 87.97 points.
The Importance of Being Carbon Neutral
For Julia, bringing Finca Los Pinos into a model of sustainability has been a decades-long project. Recognizing the importance of developing a sustainable crop, she first converted Los Pinos into organic production.
“However, I realized that this was not enough to help the environment,” Julia says. She then set her sights on reducing Los Pinos’ carbon dioxide emissions, which led her to the goal of Carbon Neutral certification. “Carbon dioxide is one of the main greenhouse gases; it is important for all people and industries to stabilize our emissions,” Julia says. “I consider that producing in a Carbon Neutral manner is a specific action to mitigate climate change, being that coffee is the second most consumed beverage in the world.”
To achieve the Carbon Neutral certification, Julia and the team at Finca Los Pinos worked with international certifying body SGS to meet the standards of their ISO 140067 Carbon Neutral status. “The process was very long and complex at the beginning since I do not have an environmental engineering background,” says Julia. “But it was important to all of us who collaborated at the farm that our work be validated so that producers and consumers believe in this agricultural system.”
Julia says that while Finca Los Pinos has long produced high-quality coffee, there is a direct connection between quality coffee and carbon-neutral practices. “This type of agriculture cares for and nurtures the soil,” she says. “And the nutrition will be reflected in a fruit of great quality and great taste.”
Byproducts in Coffee Production
The Carbon Neutral certification doesn’t just help Finca Los Pinos produce great coffee, but is also tied to the multiple ways the farm reuses the byproducts of coffee production. “We use the coffee pulp to compost and nourish our soil, as well as the parchment coffee husk,” Julia says. “We use another part of the pulp to create a jam and coffee flour, which in addition to having a delicious flavor, is a product with a high content of fiber, protein, minerals and omegas.”
With the recent 2021 Cup of Excellence Mexico results, Julia was proud that Finca Los Pinos demonstrated the immense quality coming from its sustainable farm. “I am happy and excited that the quality of a coffee that protects the environment and takes action in favor of the planet is recognized,” she says. “We broke the myth that a coffee of this category cannot compete in international specialty-coffee competitions.”
What’s Next
Now with some global attention under her belt, Julia is excited to continue operating Finca Los Pinos in a way that respects the earth—and promoting these practices to other farms in Pueblo. “We seek to replicate this already validated model to help small and medium producers to improve their living conditions, not only economic, but also social and of course environmental,” she says. “Four generations have inspired me to make a positive mark through a cup of coffee and make Finca Los Pinos a reflection of this.”
For more on Finca Los Pinos, head here.
