About Us
Cuatro Caminos Coffee Estates
Our Mission
Our mission is to own and operate Specialty Coffee farms in Panama that are Economically, Socially and Environmentally Sustainable. Sustainability is the cornerstone of our business model. It is not just a buzz word thrown around or a marketing tool. We believe that with these 3 pillars of Sustainability we can produce amazing Specialty Coffee now and for generations to come.
Socially
Sustainable
As a key part of our business model we take a full 20% of the gross operating profit from each farm and place it into a bonus pool. This pool is used to provide vastly improved living conditions for our workers and their families. Basics that we take for granted like electricity, running water, flushing toilets and gas stoves.
We provide increased salaries and performance related bonuses as well as Social Security, which provides medical, pension and dental benefits that very few coffee farm workers receive.
We provide areas for them to plant and grow their own vegetables and help those young kids who want to, to attend school.
Environmentally
Sustainable
The Earth’s population is getting bigger by the second and the amount of arable land is decreasing. We have a responsibility to ourselves and future generations to leave the planet in a better state than we found it.
We take it very seriously and here in Panama we are not alone.
Environmental Impact Studies are common place and must be conducted before any type of construction takes place.
We built our own on-site, state of the art coffee processing plant and imported top of the range coffee processing machinery from Pinhalense in Brazil to ensure that the processing of the coffee causes no ill effects to the surrounding area.
Economically
Sustainable
Obviously we need to be Economically Sustainable because if the farms don’t make money, we don’t make money and we cannot implement any of the practices discussed above.
This often means working smarter not harder. Using modern farming practices and machinery such as motorized pumps that cut the manpower by two thirds.
Scholar Support Program
In 2016 Cuatro Caminos Coffee Estates started a scholar program to support the education of our worker’s children.
The Scholar Support Program consist in giving them a bonus at the beginning of each new scholar year. This bonus is to buy all the stuff that they will need for school (uniforms, books, notebooks, backpacks). Then at the end of each trimester they give us their scholar report to follow their academic performance.
We have 65 children of school age and 59 of them are participating in the scholar support program.
For Adults Too
Our workers have the opportunity to continue their high school studies and work at the same time. After their daily shift on the farm, they then study in the evenings. They also receive a bonus at the beginning of the school year to buy their supplies.
Support for Panamanian Culture
Cuatro Caminos Coffee Estates is a sponsor of Fundacion Folklorica Jose Corella. The group is comprised of 100 dancers that represent Panama in Europe, South America and North America.
The foundation offers different workshops: singing, percussion classes, national dancing, violin lessons and hand-crafting of “tembleques” (traditional jewelry).
Our Team
Knowledgeable & passionate people at origin
Andres Lopez
VP Farming Operations
Mr. Lopez has worked in the coffee business the last 28 years developing wide experience in coffee farming processes, planning, development and implementing eco-friendly coffee farms. His experience also encompasses direct farm personnel management, increasing farm utilization and profitability, inventory and warehouse controls, product quality control, milling and roasting processes.
José Saraceni
Foreman & Agronomist
Responsible for managing all the agricultural aspects of the 11 coffee farms in Boquete. An essential part of his job is to design and manage the coffee planting system, fertilization and pest control programs and maintenance works. During the harvest season, Mr. Saraceni is in charge of handling the logistics of this demanding activity, as well as managing all the staff working in the farms and mills.
Enrique Obrego
Farm Supervisor
Mr. Obrego is responsible for overseeing the workers directly on the farms. In Spanish we call them “escuadrones” (troops). He knows the people involved and the development of each activity on the farms. Among the activities, he is involved in development of the internal roads on the farms, fertilization, pruning, pest control, shade control, planting coffee trees and shade trees.
Rolando Lopez
Farm Supervisor
Rolando started with Cuatro Caminos Coffee Estates in 2015. From that moment, he was hired as general assistant at the mill. Rolando has proved to be a responsible and highly capable staff member. Therefore, he has become the manager of the warehouse and highly involved in the coffee processing.
Malaquias Abrego
Farm Supervisor
Malaquias started with Cuatro Caminos Coffee Estates in 2015. Like many of our mill staff, he started as a general assistant. Today, he is the right hand of Rolando at the warehouse and supports all the processing activity.
Malaquias, has been one of the adults participating in the school bonus program. He not only finished secondary but also did a technical study of electricity thanks to the support of this program!.
Jairo Abrego
Farm Supervisor
Jairo started with us in 2016 as a welder. Nowadays, Jairo has become an important part of the construction team. He, together with Jaime Saraceni, are the main maintenance team of the mill and housing for our staff.
Our Farmers
