COSTA RICA HERMOSA

In the small town of Santa Maria de Dota, at the centre of the coffee growers of Tarrazu, is the coffee processing mill and facilities belonging to Coope Dota. Established back in 1960 with 96 producers clubbing together, by 2017 they had grown to 800. This has grown quickly subsequently, with fair pricing, good quality and a focus on the people. They currently represent nearly 1100 producers. Christian Chinchilla, the new GM in 2023/24 spent a year just visiting and listening to all members before starting on his main role, so that they were clear he knew and understood all of their issues. You can clearly feel a positivity and happiness in the team.

The first coffee processor in the world to be certified as carbon neutral, back in 2011, sustainability is about more than just the people and business elements. 2024 saw the launch of Project One – this saw Coope Dota work with CATIE and CAIA Alexandria (Advanced Center for Applied Research) to develop not only an improved fertiliser from the waste honey water, but to capture pollution from the air as a part of doing so. Their aim is to go further than being carbon neutral, but from removing it from the air rather than offsetting.

These heavy metals and carbons are converted into the fertiliser that has seen a 50% improvement over traditional fertilisers.

The cooperative has also focused on addressing the gender balance within the cooperative roles. As a multifaceted business, they have a café for tourism, tours, a full roastery operation and numerous associated business functions. The opening up of these roles has seen more younger women choose to stay or come and work in the area, as roles are available here that they may not have the chance for in the big cities. This is turn is starting to reduce the generational drift to the cities that is part of many coffeelands problems.

The cooperative support the youth in sports, seeing members in the Paris Olympics with Taekwondo and cycling, as well as keeping an eye on the future by running a coffee school certified by ICAFE. This is focussed at 17- and 18- year-olds and is on top of their diploma, covering all aspects of the industry from the cherries through to being a Barista. It has been running now for nearly 20 years.