#VoicesOfTheCoffeeNAMA: Mario Sibaja, CoopeVictoria R.L.
"Today we are taking the first step worldwide with the Coffee NAMA. This a differentiating element to achieve better prices and tell the world that we are a coffee culture, but also very focused on taking care of the environment", states Mario Sibaja, the commercial manager of the coffee mill CoopeVictoria R.L.
#VoicesOfTheCoffeeNAMA: Carlos Vásquez, coffee mill Coopepilangosta R.L.
"It is important to assess the emission of greenhouse gases to make decisions that help us to reduce those emissions in order to produce a coffee low in emission and allow the world to know what it is really consuming", explains Carlos Vásquez from Coopepilangosta R.L. their motivation to participate in the Coffee NAMA.
22% of Costa Rica´s coffee production is low-carbon and sustainable
Coffee is one of Costa Rica’s most important and emblematic export good and deeply connected to the country’s national identity. However, climate change clearly challenges the livelihood of Costa Rican coffee farmers and the crop’s long-term sustainability. Faced with this dire situation, in 2014 the sector joined forces with public institutions and the international cooperation to implement the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) Café. The Costa Rican NAMA Café is implemented by the country’s Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and National Coffee Institute (ICAFE) and aims to reduce GHG emissions during coffee production...
“Many people have taken our ideas to heart” - GIZ and ICAFE analyse impact of Costa Rica's NAMA Support Project in the coffee sector
After over three years of implementation, Sandra Spies, project director of the NAMA Support Project on behalf of GIZ, and Carlos Fonseca, technical manager at ICAFE, take a step back to analyse and discuss the successes and challenges that have come with the project, and how it could serve as a model for other countries and sectors. Costa Rica aims to decarbonize its economy. How are the Coffee NAMA and the NSP contributing to that goal? Fonseca: One major effect of this NAMA will be to lower emissions in the agricultural sector, which will help us achieve that national target...
10 coffee mills sell low-carbon coffee in Germany and the United States
The Coffee NAMA project has made efforts to strengthen marketing and sales skills of participating coffee mills, in order to better position their low-carbon coffee on international markets – resulting in so far ten successful business encounters. A main objective of the NAMA Support Project (NSP Café) is to support Costa Rican coffee growers to position their low-carbon coffee in international markets, which prefer a sustainable and environmentally friendly product. For this reason, the project regularly organizes business tours to markets interested in this innovative product and offer business opportunities to the coffee mills participating in the project. Up to...
14 coffee mills commit to strengthening their sales and marketing skills
Participants of the workshop led by ICAFE, GIZ and PROCOMER learned to develop a business model for their coffee, prepare a sales pitch and details for the export of coffee to markets in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Three day-long sessions at the ICAFE´s facilities, 5 presentations of the individual sales pitch and countless hours of self-study: the workshop “Strengthening Sales and Marketing Skills”, held in September 2018, called for a strong commitment from the 14 participants. After studying the information provided on the digital platform of the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER), the coffee mills gathered in three sessions...
Coffee mills present low carbon coffee at side event TASTE COSTA RICA at Sintercafé International Coffee Week
During the 31 st edition of Sintercafé International Coffee Week, over 20 coffee mills participating in the NAMA Café presented their coffee to international roasters at the side event TASTE Costa Rica. The event was organized by ICAFE and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Sintercafé is the biggest coffee event in Costa Rica, with about 500 visitors during the three days it takes place. As in previous years, the NAMA Café participated with a presentation of the low carbon coffee produced by coffee mills taking part in the project. Over 20 mills offered coffee samplings to visitors...
Coffee mills advance with packaging design for their low-carbon coffee
During a second Design Thinking workshop held in early July, representatives of 8 coffee mills further defined the characteristics of the new packaging currently being designed to promote and sell the low-carbon and sustainable coffee of mills participating in the NAMA Café at an international level. The workshop was organized and carried out by the ICAFE and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Representatives of the ICAFE´s Department for Coffee Promotion presented four design proposals, based on the results of a first brainstorming during the → first Design Thinking workshop held in March of this year. The ICAFE...
Coffee mills improve marketing skills to promote their coffee abroad
During the months of May and June, the representatives of 10 coffee mills in the NAMA Café participated in a workshop dedicated to improve marketing and sales capacities, preparing presentations for the successful promotion of their coffee abroad. The 5 best presentations have been chosen to participate in a tour to Germany in September 2017 with the aim of seizing the opportunity to present their coffee to German coffee roasters. The course was organized by the ICAFE and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. As a first step, the 10 participants learned to formulate concrete goals for successfully...
Coffee mills develop visual presentation for low-carbon coffee
How do we promote a low-emission coffee? What consumer tendencies do we know? How do we adapt to their necessities and expectancies? Which market are we interested in? What is the best way to present our coffee? Coffee mills from all over Costa Rica need to answer these questions in order to successfully promote and sell their low-carbon coffee in the world. Answers were found in a workshop held by ICAFE and GIZ and ended in a first idea of how to present a low-emission coffee around the globe. 16 of 50 coffee mills that currently participate in the NAMA...
