From our long term partners, Diego Robelo and his team in Costa Rica, we are so pleased to share with you: Aquiares Esperanza Natural. It’s now the fifth year in a row that we’ve been working with Aquiares and that’s a testament to the strong bond we have built and the quality that Diego’s team have managed to consistently produce year after year!
Aquiares places environmental protection at the forefront, focusing on carbon neutrality and measuring its greenhouse gas emissions to calculate its carbon emissions against its offsets. An agent verified under the International Panel on Climate Change norms verifies these calculations and Aquiares’ carbon measurement and emissions reduction are part of Costa Rica’s Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action.
In addition to capturing carbon, the farm’s protected biological corridors have long ensured the wellbeing of local animals and plants. Aquiares also welcomes researchers from around the world to conduct agricultural and environmental studies on their land. Projects have included investigating the benefits of agroforestry on soil health and observing the diverse bird and wildlife species that thrive in an agroecological environment.
As well as environmental protection, Aquiares innovates in experimenting with varietals in order to obtain extremely high flavour quality and agricultural efficiency.
Esperanza is a remarkable F1 hybrid created by crossing Sarchimor T5296 with a wild Ethiopian ET25. It is rust resistant, high yielding and produces a cup profile that is elegant and complex. In 2024 this Esperanza Natural advanced to the second stage of the prestigious Cup of Excellence competition in Costa Rica, which is a testament to the extraordinary quality this variety delivers.
Only ripe cherries were selected and dried with the pulp intact. The journey began with two days on ceramic floors, followed by ten days on raised beds under the Costa Rican sun, and finished with one day of gentle mechanical drying.
