Costa Rica's impact on the coffee-producing world is far bigger than expected for a country of its size. Anaerobic; natural; white; yellow; red; and black honey coffees have all been produced in the country for years. With a focus on improving sustainability (Costa Rica won the Earth Shot award in 2021) it is considered a very modern coffee-producing country despite having grown coffee since the late 1700’s.
In 2012 Coope Tarrazu launched their Community Coffee (Café de Comunidades) program designed to help promote the individual characteristics of the coffee in ‘micro-zones’ of the Tarrazu region. This Costa Rican coffee one of the most recognized in the world and represents 40% of national production. Coffee beans are produced between 1,200 and 1,900 metres above sea level, with ideal climate and soil conditions for cultivation. In 2019, CoopeTerrazu launch their Casas De Alegria project, to provide better living conditions for migrant workers and their children....
The raw coffee sales of both the Costa Rican coffees featured in our Single Origin collection contribute to the Casas De Alegria project, launched in 2019. Located on the Tarrazu cooperatives farms, the project aims to provide better living conditions for agricultural migrant workers and their children. The casas (houses) provide dignified care, nutrition and recreation for the children aged 3 months to 11 years. Keeping them safe and healthy whilst their parents work in the coffee farms this also helps prevent child labour and safeguards against risk.
Between 2019 - 2023, $44, 100 has been raised by DR Wakefield (our family-run green bean partner) and Coope Tarrazu for the Casa de La Alegria project as well as to help supplement coffee producer income.
Part of Coope Tarrazu, the San Francisco community is located in San Francisco de León Cortes, where the families cultivate Caturra and Catuaí coffee varieties. The people of this community have a huge passion to consistently produce a high quality, sustainable Costa Rican coffee and each of the producing families depend on coffee as a livelihood. They are committed to working together through all stages of the coffee process to ensure the harvested coffee is of excellent quality.
The San Lorenzo community of CoopeTarrazu have been growing coffee for over 90 years and are situated in the second district of the Canton of Terrazu. The livelihood of the district is reliant on the coffee industry and the small businesses in San Lorenzo are key for the community's economic support. Natural processed coffees are harvested when the cherries are a deep red and fully ripe, then transported to the local mill by 4pm that day to be dried. The coffee is cupped many times to ensure its quality - first when dried, then two weeks later after being rested in silos, and once again after 4 weeks.
