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| High
in the mountains of Costa Rica, some of the world’s
best coffee is grown, in harmony with nature. Coopesanta
Elena, in the Monteverde region, is made up of 75 small
coffee producers who are committed to growing their crops
in environmentally friendly ways. |
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| The
co-operative exports 60% of its coffee to the international
Fair Trade market, but also roasts Café Monteverde
and sells it locally to the supermarkets, hotels and the
growing number of tourists who visit Monteverde. |
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| In
cooperation with an American Fair Trade company, Montana
Coffee Traders (www.montanacoffeetraders.com),
Café Monteverde has established a solid reputation
for its quality coffee and continues to give back to the
community through environmental and educational programs. |
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| Our
co-op: |
Coopesanta
Elena currently has 115 associates, 75 of whom are coffee
producers. On average, each producer has about 1 hectare
of coffee.
The
co-operative offers coffee processing and roasting facilities,
a supermarket, and credit options for its members. |
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| Our
history: |
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| Coopesanta
Elena was founded in 1971. Until the end of the 1980s
almost all of the members were milk producers but some
of the members began showing an interest in developing
other activities. Between 1983 and 1984, a project known
as “Diversificación Integral de Santa Elena”,
was developed in the zone and as a result of the study,
three more productive activities were started: vegetables,
coffee, and crafts (artisans). |
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| The production
of vegetables was promoted with state resources and the organization
of small, local producers. The artisans emerged as an initiative
of women (CASEM) who subsequently joined as a division of Coopesanta
Elena. The coffee producers also chose the co-operative organization
and requested that Coopesanta Elena provide the services of
technical assistance, cultivating and selling their coffee.
In 1988, the department of coffee was created. |
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In
1989 the co-operative began a partnership with Montana
Coffee Traders, a company in Whitefish, Montana, USA.
The owner of this company, RC Beall, had made a trip
to Monteverde and was captivated by the special character
of the community, and its coffee. Since then, a strong
business relationship and friendship has developed between
Coopesanta Elena and Montana Coffee Traders.
Montana
Coffee Traders imports Café Monteverde to the
United States and pays a Fair Trade price for it. In
addition, for every pound of Café Monteverde
sold through Montana Coffee Traders, one dollar is returned
back to the co-operative for special projects in the
community. |
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| In 1990,
the co-operative opened a small roasting facility in a coffee
shop to offer freshly roasted, locally grown coffee to the growing
number of tourists in Monteverde. |
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| Our
coffee |
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| Recognized
for its excellent quality, Coopesanta Elena’s coffee
receives one of the highest prices in Costa Rica. Most
of the coffee is classified as strictly hard bean quality,
with 85% of it grown at altitudes of more than 1200 meters
above sea level. 60% Coopesanta Elena’s coffee is
exported as whole beans, the other 40% is roasted, packaged
and sold in the local and national markets. |
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| In
2003-2004, the coffee harvest yielded 2000 fanegas of
coffee (about 100,000 kg). The volume of beans exported
that year was 55,200 kg and about 90% of those beans were
sold in the Fair Trade market. |
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| Café
Monteverde’s roasted coffee is extremely fresh,
delivered to various points of sale in Costa Rica within
three days at the most, and it is shipped within 15 days.
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| Local
consumers have the advantage of consuming Café
Monteverde the same day it is roasted. It is also supplied
to local hotels, restaurants, and stores for residents
and tourists in Monteverde to enjoy. Café Monteverde
is offered in both dark and light roasts, whole bean and
ground. |
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Café
Monteverde: Grown in harmony with nature
…est. 1989
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| Our
process: |
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| Like
all of the co-operatives in Coocafe, Coopesanta Elena
makes sound environmental practices a priority in the
production of its coffee. In Coopesanta Elena’s
wet mill, hydraulic energy is used to operate the machinery
and the drying is done partially by the sun, on cement
patios. The water that is used in the process is recycled,
which has allowed for a reduction from 5000 liters per
fanega to only 200 liters. In the final stage, the water
is sent to the oxidation lakes where the purification
process finishes, before returning to the San Luis River. |
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coffee pulp and organic waste is separated and used to
produce organic fertilizer with the help of red Californian
earthworms. The fertilizer is produced and sold for the
improvement of growing coffee, horticulture and gardening. |
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| Our
projects |
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The
entire Monteverde region has a long tradition of community
involvement, environmental conservation and education.
Coopesanta
Elena has been a strong supporter of many of these initiatives.
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| In
terms of the environment for example, Coopesanta Elena has financed
projects such as ... |
the creation of educational paths in protected forest
areas
gathering knowledge that promotes environmental education
premiums for the coffee producers who develop initiatives
to reduce the environmental impact of producing coffee
treatment of the residual water and organic waste in
the milling process. |
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| Coopesanta
Elena’s coffee producers have voluntarily reduced
the use of chemicals on their crops and integrate sustainable
agricultural practices such as the use of organic soil. |
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Café Monteverde Supports the
Local Tourism Organization in Monteverde |
| Coopesanta
Elena R.L. has offered $200 as regular monthly support to the
local organization of tourist and associated businesses in Monteverde
(Cámara de Empresarios Turísticos y Afines de
Monteverde, CETAM) in order to help them cover their expenses
and promote sustainable tourism in the Monteverde area.
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The
money given on a monthly basis will come from the sales
of Café Monteverde in the local tourist market,
and is an amount roughly equivalent to 2.5% of the export
quality Café Monteverde coffee that is sold annually
to the tourists that visit the region. |
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Additionally,
CETAM will receive Café Monteverde coffee each month
to use in their informational and educational activities as
well as their marketing initiatives.
This
offer of support and partnership from Coopesanta Elena R.L.
to CETAM was begun in April 2004. |
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main interest of the organization is to enrich the experience
for visitors to Monteverde by offering organized tourist
services and activities. |
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CETAM
is an organization formed by local Monteverde businesses working
in tourism and conservation of the environment.
Among
the principle goals of the organization is education and training
for local businesses, the creation of relationships of mutual
cooperation with other tourist communities’ world wide,
and the protection of the natural value and cultural heritage
of Monteverde. |
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| Café
Monteverde Supports Agrotourism in Monteverde |
In
the Monteverde area, like other regions in the country, the
agricultural economy is being over run by the tourist industry.
The agriculturalists in Monteverde face the dilema of trying
to maintain their culture and heritage with very little economic
incentives, or turning instead to tourism for their livelihood.
Coopesanta
Elena R.L. has decided to try and facilitate and integrate
the benefits of both industries.
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the year 2000, Coopesanta Elena has received tourists
interested in an agro-tourist experience, which has diversified
the local tourism opportunities, and at the same time
created new income options for the cooperative and their
producers. |
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The
Monteverde Coffee Tour is an educational activity for visitors and
allows them to get to see and understand how local coffee production
works. The participants get to visit some of the farms, the Mill
and end up in the Café Monteverde Coffee Shop. During the
harvest season the visitors also have the opportunity to participate
and collect coffee.
Coopesanta
Elena R.L. has created an alliance with a local business Costa Rica
Study Tours (CRST) (www.crstudytours.com),
who are in charge of operating the Monteverde Coffee Tour.
Contact Us
| CoopeSanta
Elena R.L |
Café
Monteverde: |
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Manager: |
645-5182
645-5623
staelena@racsa.co.cr
Guillermo
Vargas |
Phone:
Email:
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645-5901
cafemonteverde@hotmail.com |
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| Monteverde
Coffee Tour: |
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Phone
:
Fax :
Web
page:
Email
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645-7090
645-5436
www.crstudytours.com
crstudy@racsa.co.cr
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