23/10/2024
**The Story of Café Orgánico Hamacas**
It all began in 2013 during a tour in Costa Rica. Marco, an Italian living in the country since 2011, working as a guide and interpreter, collaborated with Sven, a German owner of a tour operator specializing in VIP trips, and Vitaly, a Russian client accompanied by his wife. During the trip, an ambitious idea was born: to transform one of the many degraded lands, exhausted by years of grazing, into a lush garden forest filled with biodiversity, providing a refuge for local wildlife while producing high-quality organic coffee for export to Russia, thanks to Vitaly’s contacts.
By the end of that year, Marco received a call from Sven and Vitaly: they were ready to finance the project. In 2014, they purchased 10 hectares of land in Pittier de Corto Brus, near La Amistad International Park, a protected area of great importance for biodiversity. From an exploited plot, devoid of trees and fertility, Marco began the environmental regeneration process by planting over 5,000 native and fruit trees, creating a nursery with 25,000 coffee plants, and bringing life back to the tired land.
In 2015, all the necessary infrastructure for coffee processing was built: a water mill powered the coffee pulping machine, while solar drying beds and organic fertilizer production facilities completed the sustainable cycle. The vision of an organic farm was finally taking shape, and in 2016, the first modest but significant quantity of organic coffee was harvested.
Unfortunately, in 2017, Sven and Vitaly decided to withdraw from the project, leaving Marco to face new challenges and zero capital. Determined, Marco began training in organic farming, joining a local cooperative and diversifying production by adding organic bananas. Despite the financial difficulties, he managed to certify the farm as organic with the Blue Flag and introduced his coffee as a specialty product in 2018, thanks to a meeting with Paolo from His Majesty The Coffee, an expert Italian roaster.
In 2019, Café Orgánico Hamacas undertook an important reforestation initiative, collaborating with a foundation to plant 2,000 *Paulownia imperialis* trees. This project not only contributed to creating a healthier and more sustainable environment but also helped absorb CO2, improving soil quality and increasing biodiversity in the surrounding area. The commitment to environmental regeneration thus became an integral part of the farm's mission, strengthening the link between organic coffee production and nature conservation.
In 2020, Café Orgánico Hamacas participated in the National "Maduración Temprana" Championships, placing 11th in its debut. The following year, thanks to continuous improvements, the farm climbed to 8th place. These results were a great confirmation of the quality and potential of Hamacas coffee.
In 2021, thanks to the reforestation efforts of previous years, Café Orgánico Hamacas organized a biological monitoring of bird species that had repopulated the area. In collaboration with the UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and under the guidance of a specialized biologist and the support of a large group of volunteers from the Bird Watching Brigade, they were able to observe 40 different species, many of which had returned thanks to the improved natural habitat. This success highlighted the positive impact of the reforestation project, emphasizing the importance of environmental conservation in our sustainability mission.
Meanwhile, Marco initiated an export to Italy, but unfortunately, Gianandrea Sala from Spirit of Coffee proved insolvent, creating further difficulties. In 2021, the plantation was severely affected by the Roya disease, reducing production to a critical level. Despite these setbacks, in 2023, Marco obtained new funding from Sven (who over the years had always made small contributions), acquiring a roaster, a commercial grinder, and a sealer, lowering costs and customizing orders with biodegradable bags.
In 2024, a new contract with CR Medicinales opened the doors to organic ginger production, further diversifying production and keeping alive the hope for a sustainable future for the farm.
**Epilogue**
Despite tireless efforts, the lack of funds has halted the dream of expanding the coffee plantation. The plants damaged by the disease have not been replaced, and production has been reduced to a minimum. However, the fertile land, the infrastructure, and the accumulated experience remain a solid starting point for anyone who wishes to revive this sustainable project, deeply rooted in the biodiversity of Costa Rica.
