Page 37 - APPD_Something's_Brewing_July_Aug'24

Sustainability

In Costa Rica, pickers are paid via a defined Cafeology
Harvesting coffee
volumetric measurement called a Cajuela. This
measurement is volumetric, not by weight,
because unripe cherries weigh more than ripe pulling two slides across the
cherries. Unscrupulous pickers might therefore top. Once full, the hopper is
be more inclined to favour unripe cherries for emptied into the reservoir
more pay. and a notch is marked on a

Unripe cherries do not make tasty coffee, so nearby board.
farmers use volumetric measurements to
incentivise picking ripe cherries which are larger The hopper is filled once
and take up more volume. Pickers work more, then emptied, and
together to pour each other’s sacks into the another notch is marked.
back of a truck, through a calibrated hopper These 2 notches now
that measures 1 Cajuela. translate to 1 Fanega (20
Cajuelas).
Micheal (Roberto’s son) oversees the
measurement and notes down the number of The Fanegas are recorded
Cajuelas per picker. Each picker is then paid down to the partial Cajuela,
$3.00 per Cajuela (40% more than the legal which is then added to
minimum for pickers in Costa Rica). The pickers monthly reports that Roberto
are then given a ride down the mountain in the must send to ICAFE. If the
truck back into town. On average, pickers pick pulper reservoirs are full,
13-15 Cajuelas a day ($39-$45). then the cherries are loaded

The truck full of cherries makes its way to the into sacks ready to count the
mill at El Llano. Here the truck pulls up to the fanegas once the cherries in
pulping machine which has two large reservoirs the reservoir have been
sunk into the floor. Above the reservoir is a pulped… but pulping must
hopper like the one atop the truck but bigger. happen soon because the
This hopper holds exactly 10 Cajuelas and is clock started ticking once the

filled by tipping the cherries out of the truck and cherry was picked.

Roberto’s son Michael measuring the JULY/AUGUST. 2024 | ISSUE 37
picker’s total Cajuelas for the day

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