Gwangmyeong City Partners with Costa Rica to Expand Fair Trade

Ambassador and Coffee Institute Delegation Visits City to Discuss Cooperation
Expanding Exchanges Through Joint Development of Fair Trade Coffee and Policy Training

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province is joining hands with Costa Rica, one of the leading coffee-producing countries in Central and South America, to expand fair trade and the social economy.

On the 18th, Gwangmyeong City announced that it held a tea meeting on the 17th with representatives from the Embassy of Costa Rica in Korea and the Costa Rican Coffee Institute (ICAFE), who visited the city hall, to expand exchanges in the fields of social economy and fair trade.

Seungwon Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong (fourth from the right), and other Gwangmyeong city officials pledge fair trade cooperation with the Costa Rican delegation visiting the city hall on the 17th. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

This visit by the Costa Rican delegation is noteworthy as it marks a full-scale exchange, building on the cooperative relationship established when Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seungwon visited Costa Rica as part of the Korean local government delegation in June.

The meeting was attended by Jorge Valerio, Ambassador of Costa Rica to Korea, Marvin Rojas, Director of ICAFE, and Mario Jose Castillo, Deputy General Director of ICAFE, among others.

The two sides exchanged views on Gwangmyeong City's fair trade policies, strategies for revitalizing the social economy, and ways to expand international cooperation.

Previously, the city has been expanding cooperation with Costa Rica, a leading country in fair trade. Since 2023, various joint projects have been promoted, including policy training, meetings inviting Costa Rican coffee producers, and the development and launch of Costa Rican fair trade coffee.

In particular, the city has contributed to spreading ethical consumption locally by selling fair trade coffee made with beans from Costa Rican cooperatives at fair trade shops in the city and through purchases by city hall departments.

Mayor Park Seungwon stated, "Gwangmyeong City has established a sustainable regional model based on the social economy and fair trade," adding, "International cooperation with Costa Rica is highly meaningful for spreading a culture of ethical consumption among citizens and revitalizing the local economy."

Ambassador Valerio also remarked, "Gwangmyeong City is a city that practices fair trade with sincerity," and expressed hope that "cooperation between our two regions, which value sustainability and solidarity, will deepen further."

Meanwhile, ICAFE plans to set up a promotional booth to introduce Costa Rican coffee at the 'Seoul Cafe Show' to be held from November 19 to 21.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.