Abstract
Specialty coffee currently faces homogenization processes driven by agro-industrial systems that render the producer's work invisible and fragment the symbolic links between the crop and the final consumer. There is also a gap in the study of community-based traceability as a social and pedagogical practice that is fundamental for community-based tourism. The general objective of this article is to explore and document the community-based traceability process of the artisanal coffee Senda del Jazmín, located in the community of Suchitlán, Comala, Colima, Mexico, analyzing it as a pedagogical and political device in the configuration of rural tourism experiences. A qualitative methodology of an ethnographic nature was used, based on a case study that combined immersion visits, participant observation, territorial narrative analysis, and an in-depth interview with the local producer leading the initiative. The study findings reveal that traceability in Senda del Jazmín transcends technical control to become a living classroom. Solidarity economy and fair trade practices were identified, such as the elimination of intermediaries, as well as the use of oral storytelling as a way to transmit biocultural knowledge. However, tensions persist regarding the risk of commodification and folklorization of local identity. In conclusion, community-based traceability is established as a tool for cultural resistance and food sovereignty that strengthens productive autonomy. The study demonstrates that the articulation between territory, food, and the visitor generates gastronomic tourism experiences with an ethical and transformative sense.
Key words: Food traceability; Community-based tourism; Biocultural heritage; Food sovereignty; Solidarity economy