Miriam Zelaya
Growing up around coffee
Miriam’s coffee farm is located in the beautiful nature of Honduras. As a 6-year-old, Miriam was already busy with coffee. She grew up with her grandfather, who was like a father to her. He worked on a coffee plantation. Miriam was a very curious and driven girl and wanted to learn everything about coffee. She always wanted to go to the coffee plantation with her grandfather and begged and cried for so long until he gave in and brought her. During these trips, Miriam learned everything about the coffee process: caring for, picking, selecting and transporting the coffee. She says she is very proud to have been able to learn all this from a man with as much experience as her grandfather, Napoleón Zelaya.
Miriam had a plan
Miriam studied at university, but always had the great desire to own a small piece of land in Marcala in Honduras. Her dream was to practice organic farming and rural tourism on this piece of land and to diversify production. This allows you to be more in touch with nature, there is more respect for the balance of Mother Earth and a self-sufficient economy is generated. Miriam has made her dream come true!
Adapting to climate change
Her farm is a member of the COMSA cooperative, which was Fairtrade certified in 2005. In the region where Miriam has her farm, coffee farmers are threatened with “la roya”, or coffee rust. This fungal disease causes the coffee bush to lose its leaves and the berries to not fully ripen. Many coffee farms in the area have been ruined as a result. But thanks to the Fairtrade Premium, COMSA can give its farmers new varieties of coffee, which are more resistant to coffee rust. Partly because of this Premium, farmers can receive courses in organic farming. Here farmers learn how to improve the productivity and quality of their coffee.
Miriam works passionately every day on her farm, which she has aptly called La Clave del Sol. La Clave del Sol, is the symbol of life. This name perfectly describes Miriam’s farm, as it is both an organic and biodynamic farm. Respecting nature is very important and that agricultural practices support the ecosystem. It is a place where not only coffee is grown, but also one where you can catch your breath and feel energy flowing. There are many trees, birds, squirrels and other animals on the farm, which live here in harmony with agricultural practices.
When you drink your cup of coffee, I invite you to remember it comes from a place where people are working to build a different world in which we have peace, in which there is light, there is water, there is air for our future generations.
Miriam Zelaya
