Coffee Roya Update

Enter Carlos Rodriquez

Carlos Mario Rodriquez is the Director of Global Agronomy at Starbucks, where he has ‘partnered’ since 2004. He organized and spearheaded their research and development in Costa Rica.

“Prior to joining Starbucks, Rodriguez studied agronomy at the University of Costa Rica, where he worked in the university’s molecular biology lab. Soon after, Rodriguez worked at the National Biodiversity Institute before leading the countrywide coffee program at Instituto del Café de Costa Rica, or iCafe.”-Starbucks Newsroom, May 17th,2016.

Already familiar with the problems of the Coffee Roya disease, Rodriquez focused on this and other issues in the industry.

The Team

To maximize the chances of success, Starbucks teamed with these groups:

• The Costa Rican Government
• The National Coffee Institute (ICAFE)
• The Center for Coffee Research (CICAFE)
• Texas A&M University’s ‘World Coffee Research’ project.
• The Costa Rican coffee farmers.

The Challenge Faced by Carlos Mario Rodriquez

Rodriquez needed to:

1. Develop several varieties for testing, and choose the best option in limited time.
2. Gain the farmers cooperating in the project:
   a. To systematically replace older, diseased, coffee producing plants.
   b. To learn new growing and management techniques.
3. Have the new suckers properly planted in the fields.

Under the watchful supervision, Carlos Rodriquez nursed ‘his babies’, as he tried and tested his new varietals. His work is described as ‘open sourced agronomy’. It is designed to be shared globally for the benefit of all coffee growers. Starbucks is investing the information gained by this project, in farmers from Costa Rica to Roawanda.

The Results of Starbucks Efforts

• Costa Rica’s farmers are already growing seedlings developed by the project.
• The project has developed over 60 new varieties of coffee.
• They have produced over 60,000 new seedlings for farmers to test.
• The new coffee plants have tested resistant to the Coffee Roya disease.
• The project has earned international recognition for its outstanding results.

Recognition

Fast Company magazine publishes an annual business rating of the ‘top 100’-most progressive business changers. Carlos Rodriquez was rated as the 15th Top Person– for his impact on the coffee industry in March 2016. He was recognized “For keeping Starbucks–and farmers everywhere–full of beans”. Fast Company- was established in 1995, by Bill Taylor and Alan Webber, both former editors of Harvard Business Review.

The collaborative efforts of the teams working together in Costa Rica have now developed new varieties of Arabica coffee capable of resisting the known diseases in the plantations. The benefits are, an equally great tasting coffee, excellent yields, and the knowledge of modern growing techniques for the farmers. Major coffee traders will benefit from better supplies and more stable world prices

You can rest easy knowing that in the morning there will be another great cup of Arabica coffee brewing.

Coffee plantation tours can be booked at the Tour Desk at the Blue River Resort and Hot Springs. Then sample some select Costa Rican Arabica coffee at the Blue River Resort, there the coffee is always hot and fresh. Enjoy it here at the Resort or we will arrange to ship your purchases for you. Once home, every sip will bring back fond memories of a great vacation.

Putting The Coffee Rust Disease into Context

Coffee Roya or Coffee Rust disease began destroying coffee plants slowly at first in the early 2000’s. With each successive year the number of dead trees grew at an alarming rate. Now and in 2015, the threat was well advanced and had gained the attention of those working in the mega-coffee industry.

Coffee is big business worldwide, over 400 Billion cups are consumed each year, that is 2.25- Billion cups of coffee consumed daily and $100 Billion spent annually.

Pura Vida