We are thrilled to announce that the Austin-based company Ruta Maya Coffee has once again offered its support for The Mesoamerica Center and The 2021 Mesoamerica Meetings! This year our program is all virtual and includes a workshop and symposium talks, made possible by the endorsement of Ruta Maya Coffee. We are very grateful for our local neighbors, who bring us coffee from the lands of Mesoamerica and support our programs for scholarly and public audiences.
Ruta Maya Coffee has established a program of community partnerships that for the past several years has supported our activities through The Mesoamerica Center at The University of Texas campus and at Casa Herrera, our research and education facility in Antigua, Guatemala. To learn about the work of Ruta Maya Coffee in advocating for the arts, education, and environment, read more at their website community pages, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
Since 1990, Ruta Maya Coffee has imported 100% organic, shade-grown Arabica coffee beans from the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico—the land of the ancient and modern Maya. Grown in partnership with cooperatives of indigenous Mayan farmers, the carefully-harvested green coffee beans are imported to Austin, Texas, where they are custom-roasted to exacting standards and packed fresh daily. Ancient growing techniques are combined with gentle roasting to extract the ultimate in coffee depth and flavor.
Ruta Maya’s line of products embodies Maya, Mexican, and Latin American cultures working together to foster universal messages of respect and friendship through economic cooperation. “Oportunidades para las Americas" (Opportunities for the Americas) is the guiding principle that has led Ruta Maya Coffee from vision to reality and everywhere in between.
The name Ruta Maya translates to “Route of the Maya,” and refers to the areas where the company’s coffee beans are grown. It’s not a single road or itinerary—it’s a concept. For the Ruta Maya team, the name represents a bridging of cultures and the importance of building long lasting, authentic relationships.
A portion of Ruta Maya’s profits are dedicated to supporting cultural and educational programs for the Maya in Chiapas, facilitated by The Mesoamerica Center at The University of Texas at Austin.