RESEARCH IN
COSTA
RICA
The OS490 Research Team traveled to Costa Rica
over spring break. The team, consisting of nine
OS students, Professor Steve Samford and Chief
Administrator Melissa Eljamal, explored this beautiful
country while conducting research at Costa Rican
coffee farms to learn about their cooperative
systems and traceability practices.
During the semester, students examined the role of
cooperative organizations of small coffee farmers in
helping those growers meet demand for high-quality,
origin-specific specialty coffee. Growers can earn
much more for this kind of coffee than they can for
undifferentiated commodity coffee. The research
team partnered with the Costa Rican Institute of
Coffee (ICAFE), a government agency that regulates
and promotes the production, improvement, and
marketing of coffee.
In country, students interviewed coffee roasters and
importers and designed, deployed, and analyzed a
consumer survey to gauge responses to traceability.
In the end, the students produced and presented
two reports to ICAFE, which the agency will
employ in their initiative to increase
traceability and their ongoing efforts to
improve the wellbeing of small farmers.
This year’s student Social Media
Coordinator, Melanie McKenna, took
over the LSA Instagram account while on
the trip, to document their research and
give the U-M community the opportunity
to see why the Organizational Studies
program is so special.
You can check out the full story on the OS
Instagram highlight reel:
Instagram.com/michigan.os
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