The Project: Finca Hamburgo is a 287-hectare family-owned coffee estate founded in 1888. Finca Hamburgo produces shade-grown coffee and has received several awards from the Specialty Coffee Association of America for its flavor and aroma.

The Deal: Verde Ventures provided a $300,000 rotating line of credit for working capital to finance pre- and post-harvest expenses and costs related to the implementation of Starbucks Coffee Company’s green coffee purchasing guidelines, known as C.A.F.E. Practices.

The Benefit to Conservation: This investment in Finca Hamburgo is part of a larger landscape investment approach with other coffee farms near the Sierra Madre de Chiapas Biosphere Reserve in Mexico. Verde Ventures has invested in four additional farms in an effort to establish a conservation corridor between the farms and consolidate the buffer zone of this important reserve within the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot. Jointly, the four farms serve as habitat for 200 bird species and more than 74 species of mammals, including five species found on the IUCN Red List. Finca Hamburgo provides permanent employment to 80 families and temporary employment to approximately 500 people who are hired to support the estate’s harvest and processing activities.