Coffee, sugar and other products have been cultivated in Hacienda Victoria (the estate where the cooperative Coopevictoria was founded) since approximately 1905. There used to be many small and medium-scale farmers in its surroundings that harvested coffee and sugarcane, which they then sold to Hacienda Victoria to be processed.

The 1930s were especially difficult because of the economic crisis of 1929, whose repercussions were felt around the world. Small and medium-scale farmers were especially hit because they are highly dependent on international markets. In the face of the crisis, it was urgent to find subsistence alternatives.

One of the ways in which people tried to deal with the crisis was to get together in a cooperative and install their own sugar refinery. However, the times were difficult and the farmers were not ready to take on such a project.

After several years of lobby work, the National Congress passed Law 49 on July 22, 1943. This law allowed the State to sell Hacienda Victoria and its facilities to Costa Rica’s National Bank. It also authorized the Bank to organize the so-called Agricultural and Industrial Production Cooperative to control and administer the estate. This Cooperative was officially constituted on October 12, 1943. On July 31, 1956 the National Bank officially handed over the Cooperative to its General Assembly because it had covered 75% of the debt - amount it had to cover according to Law 49.

Since then, the company has grown and expanded, both geographically and in the diversification of its activities and services. Today, it has 3000 small-scale farmers as associates. Its impact on the regional and national economy as a motor for social and economic development is widely recognized. The main services currently offered by the Cooperative are:

  • Coffee processing and marketing
  • Sugar cane processing and sugar marketing
  • Vegetable processing and marketing on a regional level
  • Organic fertilizer
  • Storage of agricultural inputs
  • Services
  • Peace Garden Las Mercedes
  • Reforestation programs