Introduction to Dota Coffee Cooperative in Costa Rica Costa Rica Eco-Friendly Coffee

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The Rise of Carbon Neutral Coffee in Costa Rica

Although the development of global carbon neutral agricultural products has been slow, it has gradually taken shape. The most successful example is in Central America's Costa Rica, where the country's Dota Coffee Cooperative has become the world's first carbon neutral certified coffee producer.

A Pioneer in Sustainable Coffee Production

Fernando Solis Arguedas climbs onto his steep roof, carefully examining a leaf from his 50-year-old Arabica coffee tree. His coffee beans have a distinguished pedigree, as this is the world's first officially certified carbon neutral coffee.

Although Solis notices early signs of coffee leaf rust disease, he believes this is due to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Through sustainable agricultural techniques such as reducing chemical spraying and planting more shade trees, their Dota Coffee Cooperative (Coopedota) can sell coffee at higher prices than others.

Carbon Neutrality Reducing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases

In recent years, although organic products have become globally popular, carbon neutral production techniques are mainstream in Costa Rica. This Central American country with a population of 5 million aims to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the growing demand for agricultural products from its increasing population.

"This is not only a trend, but it also means we can sell our coffee to international markets. If the market price is $120, we might sell it for $180 or $200," says Solis, whose family has been growing coffee for three generations. "Although the costs are high, we believe it's more beneficial for us."

Costa Rica currently has three zero-emission coffee companies, as well as some carbon neutral banana, pineapple, and cattle producers, making the country a pioneer in global carbon neutral development.

Coffee is not the only carbon neutral beverage. Companies in Sri Lanka, India, and mainland China also produce zero-emission tea.

Costa Rica's Coffee Heritage and Environmental Leadership

Coffee production plays an important role in Costa Rica's history, and the country is now world-renowned for its high-quality Arabica coffee varieties. Despite current production accounting for only about 1% of global coffee output, Costa Rica remains the world's 14th largest coffee-producing country.

Costa Rica is also famous for being environmentally friendly. As early as 2007, the country set an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2021, which means addressing 37% of agricultural carbon emissions, with coffee accounting for nearly 10% of total national emissions.

Reducing Environmental Impact Also Lowers Costs

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, global agriculture, forestry, and other land uses account for approximately 24% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Coffee industry professionals indicate that Costa Rica's approach involves convincing coffee farmers to adopt fertilizers or mills to reduce energy and water consumption, or converting coffee cherries into biogas. This not only reduces environmental impact but also lowers costs.

Many coffee farmers in the country have already begun adapting to future climate change factors. The Costa Rican government recently lifted a 30-year ban on growing Robusta coffee trees, which are more heat-tolerant and disease-resistant than Arabica.

However, producing zero-emission coffee comes with certain costs, and how to get more consumers to pay for it remains a significant challenge.

The Success of Dota Coffee Cooperative

Take Solis's Dota Coffee Cooperative as an example. Located in the Los Santos region, where the entire community almost exclusively depends on coffee for its livelihood, the cooperative's facilities are filled with millions of coffee beans in burlap sacks, with the air thick with the aroma of roasted coffee.

Although Dota Coffee Cooperative was the world's first carbon neutral certified coffee company, this 900-member cooperative initially focused on reducing costs and improving efficiency, only gradually discovering the additional environmental benefits of adopting new processes.

"After implementing carbon neutral technology, water usage decreased by 80%, and energy consumption was reduced by 40%," says Adrian Cordero, the company's environmental manager. "The company now also uses coffee husks instead of firewood as fuel for coffee bean dryers."

Cordero adds that half of the cooperative's coffee is exported to the United States, while the rest is sold to new Asian markets, where customers are willing to pay higher prices for their products.

FrontStreet Coffee's Brewing Recommendations:

Pour-over: V60 dripper, Fuji R440 grind level 3.5, water temperature around 90°C

French press: Recommended grind level 4, water temperature 90°C

Siphon: Recommended grind level 4, water temperature 90°C-91°C

AeroPress: Recommended grind level 3.5, water temperature 90°C

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