Today, we visited Café Monteverde, one of the main coffee producers in Monteverde. Touring the farm, we learned a lot about life working on a coffee farm. Coffee pickers are primarily from Nicaragua, as workers often move to Costa Rica for more work opportunities. These workers are paid between $2 and $5 per cajuela (basket) of coffee cherries, depending on the farm. Workers are also encouraged to return during the coffee season every year, as they can continue working without going through additional training. At Café Monteverde, workers are enticed to return by the income of $4 per cajuela, the provided housing and food, and the free medical care. However, working on a farm has its challenges. In addition to the manual labor and hard work done by the coffee pickers, workers in managerial positions face challenges in maintaining coffee yield. One significant threat to coffee yield is climate change, as rising temperatures cause cloud levels to rise. In Monteverde, which is known for its cloud forest, cloud levels used to provide constant moisture to the soil. Now, soil is instead subjected to sudden rain, reducing the amount of moisture absorbed by the surface level soil. As a rest, the coffee plants’ shallow roots absorb fewer nutrients. Therefore, many managers and researchers on coffee plantations are challenged to find new ways to increase both yield quality and yield quantity to maintain levels of income.

This challenge is addressed through engineering. To counteract the impact of climate change, coffee farms must research and engineer new practices and products. One example of this is in fertilizer; many farms use chemical fertilizers, which contain pesticides that increase the acidity of the soil. The lowered pH worsens growing conditions for coffee, compromising the quality and quantity of coffee cherries. To address this problem, Café Monteverde is engineering an organic fertilizer. As illustrated in the attached images, the fertilizer is made from sugar cane molasses, corn flour, and microorganisms. In addition to supporting environmental sustainability, this practice supports economic sustainability (thanks to its low production cost). If I grew up in a similar farming environment, I believe I would work towards furthering this research. As an engineering student, I love learning about solving problems with scientific concepts. With more experience in farming and fertilizing challenges, I would likely dedicate my time to learning about chemical engineering to improve farming conditions and reduce the impact of climate change.

Outside of coffee production, farms are integral to their surrounding communities. As shown at the restaurant by the Life farm in Monteverde, farm crops are directly responsible for providing food to the community. In addition, many farms work with programs like the Monteverde Community Fund to give back to the community. In these programs, portions of the farm incomes are reserved for community projects. Furthermore, companies like Café Monteverde work with schools and neighbors to educate others about coffee and sustainability. Café Monteverde also buys neighboring producers’ coffee (despite producing coffee itself) to support the community and maintain a balanced economy. In return, the community supports the café by buying its coffee and helping to provide the necessary revenue.

And now some haikus!

Chemical products

Are too acidic for soil.

So farms make their own.

Molasses, corn flour,

Microorganisms too.

Yay, fertilizer!