The DIY distribution of Zapatista coffee in the UK is for the moment through Active Distribution who took over where the Cafe Rebelde (Wombles) left off. Active is a small non-profit anarchist organisation. We have supported the EZLN (Zapatista) Indigenous struggle in Mexico ever since hearing about it on the BBC World Service on day one 1/1/1994! Recently one of us visited Mexico, and heard Subcommandante Marcos of the EZLN speak of sending “our coffee to the Europe”. We get the coffee via Cafe Libertad in Hamburg which is an anarchist workers Co-operative. Cafe Libertad workers visist Mexico regularly to keep in direct contact with the coffee producers, collectives and insurgents. We have no doubts about the value this coffee plays in supporting the revolutionary struggle both in Mexico and worldwide.

“As part of the effort to clarify which products being marketed internationally are actually produced by Zapatista cooperatives, in August 2003 the Caracoles began to certify autonomous Zapatista coffee cooperatives. The Zapatistas contend that this became necessary because people were using their name and image in other parts of the world to sell products which were not actually Zapatista. This list therefore, only includes groups which sell coffee from known Zapatista cooperatives such as Mut Vitz, Nueva Luz del Cielo and Tatic Abuelos. Likewise there are some notable exceptions, like Equal Exchange and Transfair USA, because they sell coffee from other, non-Zapatista, Chiapas coffee cooperatives.
The issue of whether or not to buy exclusively Zapatista coffee is tricky: mainly it depends on how much the community organizational processes behind the formation of the coffee cooperatives matter to you. For example in Chiapas, there are coffee cooperatives that grow shade grown, organic coffee—thus complying with the ecological mandates of fair trade and organic agriculture—but have members which belong to known paramilitary groups. This is not to say that all non-zapatista coffee co-ops are paramilitary, either. If supporting community organizational efforts is important to you, then look for an importer that shares those same priorities, whether the co-ops are in Chiapas, Oaxaca or elsewhere.”

The 250g ground bags are available from us mailorder at £4 each for the Uk and £5 to Europe. You can pay by cheque or Postal Order to "Active Distribution" or by Paypal (account jon@activedistribution.org in which case add 50p). Post
At present we wholesale the 250g ground coffee at £1.75 a pack and the 500g beans at £3.50 a pack. The price fluctuates occasionally by a small margin and does not include shipping.
If you are interested in selling Zapatista coffee please email us at; jon@activedistribution.org
or write to Active, BM Active, london, WC1N 3XX.

Zapatista Coffee Points in London.

Wholsum Wholefoods, Dalston Lane, Hackney.

Portobello Wholefoods, 266 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W10 5TY "under the bridge" on Portobello Road. (Ladbroke Grove Tube). Despite appearances (and the scary boss!) this is a cool and friendly shop!

Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, Kings Cross, N1.

Zelda's Pod is a great little chaotic health food shop at 95 Southgate Road, London N1 3JS. Telephone: 020 7226 2524.

...and what does it taste like? Well according to our expert addicts the arabic roast we sell has "relatively strong" and "full bodied flavour". Certainly everyone we know has come back for more!