Fairtrade Organic Costa Rica - 227g

This is a fantastic Costa Rican coffee from Cooperativa de Cafe (known as the Coocafe). Perfectly balanced, clean and mild with notes of bright citrus with distinct nut roast flavours.

Certified as Organic and Fairtrade ensuring that natural farming methods are used and fair wages are paid to the farmers with support for their local communities.

A fantastic cafetiere or filter coffee for any time of the day.

Choose between ground and beans.

Coocafe general information

• Cooperativa de Café, known as Coocafe, was founded in 1988. It is a secondary level service co-operative originally comprising five primary level co-operatives which has now increased to nine: Coopemontes del Oro, Coopetila, Coope El Dos, Coopepilangosta, Coopecerro Azul, Coopesarapiqui, CoopeSanta Elena, Coopabuena, and Coopellanobonito
• Seven are located in the northern states of Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Heredia, and one each in the southern states of San José and southern Puntarenas. The farms are located at altitudes of between 800 and 1,200 metres
• Coocafe represents 3,500 farmers, including 256 women, and indirectly benefits 15,000 people
• Coocafe members produce around 4,140 tonnes of arabica coffee beans each year, 80% of production is exported. Coocafe carries out processing and exportation for all its members’ production
• Coopemontes del Oro, Coopepilangosta and Coope El Dos are certified organic, producing around 45 tonnes of organic coffee
• The majority of the co-operatives produce shade grown coffee, and are in transition to organic production. All use organic fertilisers
• The average farm is 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres) in size with an annual yield of around 1,600 kg
• Since 1995 Coocafe has diversified into the export of yucca and plantain chips
• One co-operative is being supported in macadamia nut production
• COOCAFE and its cooperatives have established two foundations: Hijos del Campo Foundation (countryside kids) provides school and university scholarships for promising students; and Foundation Café Forestal which supports socio-economic and environmental development projects.
  

Coffee in Costa Rica:

• Coffee accounts for around 11% of export revenues and employs 5% of the labour force
• The coffee industry is privatised but is regulated and supported by the Instituto de Café de Costa Rica (Icafé)
• A unique system is operated whereby farmers deliver their coffee to a processing plant or beneficio and Icafé specifies the commissions to which the beneficio, exporter, government and Icafé itself are entitled. Most of Coocafe’s member co-operatives have now developed the capacity to operate as beneficios.