The coffee
industry generates around 60 tons of waste each year, according to scientific
research. As a result, more and more producers are seeking alternative projects
to repurpose this waste and create additional income streams beyond coffee
production.
That’s part
of the mission behind Káapeh México, an NGO founded by Nora Torres (Mexico,
29), which “fuses science and ancestral agriculture to create a development
ecosystem that dignifies and empowers small-scale producers without sacrificing
the environment,” as she describes it.
The
organization is currently focused on three main initiatives. The first is
training farmers in sustainable practices through workshops on ecological
agriculture techniques, financial management, and pest control. These sessions
help smallholders improve their crop yields, soil quality, and resilience to
climate change. The second
initiative centers on circular economy. Through a project called Beyond the
Coffee Cup, the organization transforms coffee harvest waste into biodegradable
slabs used as eco-friendly substrates for greenhouses. This creates a new
income source for farmers, who previously discarded these by-products entirely.
Lastly, the
NGO develops low-cost soil monitoring kits that use artificial intelligence
(AI) and satellite imagery. These tools provide farmers with real-time insights
to optimize their crops, while also generating valuable data that allows Káapeh
México to work with governments and organizations on designing more effective
agricultural policies.
Torres, a
biotechnology graduate from Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), recalls the long
working days of her grandparents, small-scale farmers in northern Mexico, who
taught her the value of the land. “How it nourishes, heals, and balances the
environment,” she says. But those lessons were accompanied by scarcity and lack
of opportunity. That’s what inspired her to study biotechnology: “To find
solutions to these challenges.”
In 2019,
she had the chance to study coffee plantations in Chiapas, Mexico. “That’s when
I realized that the crisis in Mexican coffee production, often blamed on roya, a
fungus affecting crops, was rooted in deeper, primarily social, causes. I also
encountered a concerning indifference, largely due to a lack of awareness of
the problem. That’s why I founded Káapeh México, to change that and ensure
future generations of producers don’t face the same barriers,” Torres explains.
Since 2020,
the NGO has trained 4,500 small-scale farmers across 274 communities in
Chiapas. Over the next five years, it aims to train another 3,000.
Additionally, by repurposing coffee harvest waste, the organization hopes to
provide a second source of income for 500 farmers and reclaim at least 150 tons
of waste per year, equivalent to reducing roughly 1.2 tons of CO₂ emissions
annually. As for the soil monitoring kits, they are expected to help 500
producers improve land health, increase productivity by 20%, and cut fertilizer
use by 15%.
“The future
looks promising,” says the entrepreneur. “As the world increasingly recognizes
the importance of farming practices that respect both the environment and local
economies, I see Káapeh México expanding its impact, not just in Mexico, but
globally, especially in countries with a strong presence of small coffee
producers, where our solutions can make a real difference.”
Káapeh
México has been recognized by the Mexican Senate for its work in empowering
producers through circular economy initiatives. This year, Torres also won the
EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) 2024 for Mexico and Latin America.
In 2023, she was acknowledged by Prototypes for Humanity, and in 2022, she was
selected as one of the 100 Young Leaders of the Future by the University of
Oxford (UK) through the Global Leadership Challenge.
Now, with
several awards and publications to her name, this Mexican changemaker has been
named one of the 35 Innovators Under 35 by MIT Technology Review in Spanish.
