Collaboration of SMS Costa Rica & Mexico for agricultural inputs development

Article by: Bryan Serrano 

The global coffee landscape is challenging. On one hand, there is market demand for more sustainable growing methods that reduce chemical use and minimise environmental impact. On the other hand, climate change exerts constant pressure on production systems, making resilient methods essential for producers to continue their activities.

SMS Costa Rica, conscious of this reality, has been working towards sustainable production since 2015, when it eliminated synthetic insecticides on its managed farms. More recently, in 2022, SMS launched a strategy based on four pillars: genetic material, crop management, climate change, and soil health.

In line with this strategy, the SMS Research and Development team developed two products: SMS Biol and SMS Pellet. SMS Biol is made from the honey water (wastewater) from coffee processing, creating a circular economy in the supply chain at an affordable cost for producers. SMS Pellet is a fertiliser enriched with organic matter, providing a tool for reducing emissions and the carbon footprint on farms by replacing synthetic nitrogen sources.

Aligned with the vision of One ECOM, SMS Costa Rica has been collaborating with the SMS Mexico innovation team for coffee and cocoa. They aim to develop Bioles using honey waters from the Wet Process in Ixhuatlán del Café, Veracruz, and leachate from cocoa fermentation at the Huehuetán plant in Chiapas.

Another expected product of this collaboration is enriched compost made from residual coffee pulp. This not only ensures optimal waste management, but also provides coffee growers with inputs for regenerative agriculture within a circular economy framework.

We have high hopes that this initiative will facilitate technology transfer to producers, offering low environmental impact solutions with added value.