Union of Indigenous Communities of the Isthmus Region (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Union of Indigenous Communities of the Isthmus Region (Spanish: Union de Comunidades Indigenas de la Region del Istmo, or UCIRI), is a farmer's cooperative in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. It was established in 1982 to assist in production, marketing and distribution of locally produced coffee and other products. UCIRI was a pioneer of organic coffee production and one of the first fair trade suppliers. Until the late 1970s the small coffee farmers of the Santa Maria Guienagati and Guevea de Humboldt munipalities in the Tehuantepec District of the Istmo Region of Oaxaca did not have roads and transport to get their product to market, and lacked bargaining power with the freelance coffee buyers. However, loggers built rough roads in the 1970s, and the roads were maintained after the loggers left or were driven out. The producers began selling direct to Inmecafe, the Mexican Institute of Coffee, which paid more than the middlemen.