Planeterra worked with a small community coffee cooperative to develop the Mi Cafecito program, which includes a meal experience at their on-site restaurant, and other related tourism services in San Miguel de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica. As the town’s main cooperative, Coopesarapiquí brings together more than 200 small farmers that produce organic coffee from the four regions of San Carlos, Sarapiqui, Heredia and Alajuela. In addition to the coffee tour, they farm fish for fresh lunches for their visitors. Through training and the connection to Planeterra’s tourism partners, the cooperative was able to triple revenues in the first year of operation.
The impact of tourism
In Costa Rica, Mi Cafecito is now a successful tourism and agriculture co-op which has created many employment opportunities for members of the community as well as connected local farmers and artisans with a market to sell their products, significantly improving the economic development of the community. Mi Cafecito continually develops new touristic experiences for their travellers. Nowadays, they also sell coffee and other artisanal projects online.