Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

“Reclaimed land under control of the bases of support of the EZLN”

You are invited to a ‘Taste of Freedom: organic coffee and autonomous communities in Mexico’, a workshop each morning to kick-start the Head Zone at the Big Tent Festival.

Taste rebel Zapatista coffee from Chiapas, Mexico, hear how the local indigenous people are creating ecological self-governing communities – and discuss what it means. Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity Group are twinned with “Zapatista autonomous municipality 16th February”, raise funds for autonomous health clinics and distribute fair-trade organic coffee from indigenous co-operatives.

A thousand Zapatista villages are resisting the onslaught of agribusiness and are practising organic agriculture. GM crops and pesticides are not welcome in rebel lands. The State and big business favour money-motivated crops like palm oil but the Zapatistas, as poor peasant farmers, aim to grow healthy food to improve their nutrition and health.

The Zapatista alternative is under attack – hear a first-hand report of an autonomous village resisting armed paramilitaries trying to steal their land so the state can develop “eco-tourism”. Savour the taste of “Cafe Libertad” while we discuss what we can do here.

Where and When? 10.00 -11.00 am (Sat & Sun mornings) in the Talk Tent, Head Zone at the Big Tent Festival, Falkland , Fife