By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

While there are indeed producers of certified organic foodstuffs and spirits in the central valleys of Oaxaca, the question arises as to whether tourists on a short visit, or residents of its capital, should go out of their way to seek out production from these purveyors. Are there healthy, sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to shopping in the Friday and Saturday organic market in the Xochimilco neighborhood in the north end of the city, or patronizing restaurants which boast using certified organic produce or being Slow Food proponents? Continue reading Certified Organic Produce in Oaxaca: Is it Necessary or Even Advisable? →

By Doreen Woelfel

Oaxaca is a coffee state, one of few in Mexico, (including Veracruz, Chiapas, Tabasco and Michoacan), but definitely one of the most beautiful of the coffee lands. Many visitors know to head up to Pluma Hildago for not only a scenic, cooling, drive, but to see this small village perched on the side of a mountain, overlooking a vast amount of the Sierra Madre Sur and the coast of Oaxaca and of course, buy beans. Coffee, not a native plant, is most likely native to Africa/Ethiopia area, but was cultivated in southern Arabia early in coffee drinking history. Coffee was first written about and spread in popularity in the Mediterranean area in the mid 15th century, and the coffee story moves from there, as explorers and conquerors brought coffee home with them and to new lands. Continue reading Coffee →