The organic coffee beans imported by Ruta Maya Importing Ltd. from Chiapas, Mexico are grown by Maya Indian farmers following traditional principles of sustainable agriculture that create a healthier product as well as a healthier environment. Crops are regularly rotated to avoid depleting the soil and are typically fertilized with compost and disease-resistant mulch. Keeping fields fertile for coffee production as well as other crops allows farmers to avoid cutting down trees to clear new land, preserving the delicate ecosystem. These small, family-owned farms also benefit economically from having secondary crops.