Who are we? | Coopetarrazú
In 1966 the coffee that represents CoopeTarrazú R.L. worldwide was born, planted in La Pastora, the highest point of Tarrazú, Zona de Los Santos, Costa Rica.
This is land is recognized for harvesting the best coffee in the world through the efforts of 228 small coffee producers who founded the cooperative. The drive of these pioneers led step by step to the consolidation of this great organization.
More than six decades later, CoopeTarrazú is made up of the illusions and dreams of nearly 5,000 producers in the region, who earn a living for their families and the improvement of the entire community through honest work on their fields.
We are dedicated to the processing and commercialization of our coffee, which has become of reference at national and international levels.
coffees in exhibition
Table of Contents
Plantations
The plantations are located approximately between 1,200 and 1,900 meters of altitude, in the ideal climate and soil conditions for cultivation. Most of the plantations are planted under the shade of native trees from the region.
In Los Santos, where all our coffee comes from, 27.944 hectares are dedicated to this crop, which means 40% of the national coffee production of Costa Rica.
La Pastora Tarrazú is a SHB (Strictly Hard Bean) coffee, 100% genuine from the Tarrazú region, where the Caturra and Catuaí varieties come together in the plantations to achieve an exquisite blend.
Coffee harvest and receivers
For the harvest, the Los Santos area receives about 15,000 immigrants from Nicaragua and Panama who are distributed among the different farms to fulfill the task of collecting all the coffee bean by bean.
Mainly in pickup trucks, the associates move the grain from their farms to the 60 available receivers that CoopeTarrazú enables throughout Los Santos area. Each associate chooses the nearest establishment for their delivery.
Casas de la Alegría
This is a social responsibility project of CoopeTarrazú, which consists of a care network for minors who accompany their parents in the coffee harvesting process.
Duly trained personnel attend children with ages ranging from 0 to 12 years, in places where they carry out educational and recreational activities, in addition to receiving a balanced diet.
CoopeTarrazú is the administrator and promoter of this project, with the support of governmental and international institutions, which make economic contributions.
Export
For more than two decades, CoopeTarrazú has been exporting its coffee directly through previously established contacts with importers, international roasters and final customers, who highlight the particularities of the grain that is produced.
This has allowed us to reach the most demanding palates in the world of coffee, with the United States being the main export destination with 55% of the total production, followed by European countries (35%), while countries in Asia and Oceania receive about 10%.
Sustainable Trading Company
As a complement to export, CoopeTarrazú has a sister company called Sustainable Trading Company (STC), which specializes in the search, processing, commercialization and export of specialty coffees from Costa Rica.
Satisfying all tastes and requests in the coffee market is a standard of STC, since each bean or origin will give you an experience in unique aromas and flavors, which are the result of many variables.
Centro de Apoyo al Productor (CAP)
Our Cooperative counts with several engineers and agricultural experts who work in the Producer Support Center (CAP), a department whose fundamental task is to provide full support to coffee producers.
From here, good practices are encouraged on the field, through technical advice after developing processes that allow constant improvement and increased productivity in coffee plantations.
Another of its functions is to conduct visits and training for producers, to comply with the requirements requested by the certifications (Fair Trade, C.A.F.E. Practices, Essential Costa Rica) that support our crops.
Research and Development
CoopeTarrazú has been committed since 2011 to its Research and Development department with the aim of finding practical alternatives in topics such as coffee by-products, sustainable agriculture, efficiency and new energy alternatives.
Currently, we have a Center for the Development of Organic Alternatives (CeDAO) that works hand in hand with different educational institutions, and national and international research centers in
the search for innovative solutions that contribute to the development of coffee producers and the community in general.
Waste Treatment
Adhering to the existing environmental and sanitary regulations in Costa Rica, CoopeTarrazú works on the continuous improvement of processes that allow the correct treatment of all coffee waste.
During the last few years, the Cooperative managed to have 100% of the grain pulp residues undergo a composting process that is returned to the producers as organic matter, that can be reintegrated into the plantations.
Employment and Social Welfare
Consolidating coffee as the central core of CoopeTarrazú has allowed the development of other complementary commercial businesses that generate employment and benefits to the community.
A chain of five supermarkets, four agricultural supplies and hardware stores, as well as a fuel service station provide employment for 350 people throughout the year and around 600 employments during the coffee harvest season.
Our responsibility is to help the development of the region and that is why cultural and sports groups receive sponsorships to continue their social work.
At CoopeTarrazú we have unique elements that give our coffee additional value: the one that genuinely satisfies palates and awakens all kinds of sensations wherever it arrives.
We show the world that we are more than a coffee cooperative, and that we not only accompany the producer, rather we are the producer.