Unanimously, 42 deputies of the Assembly of Costa Rica approved in the 2nd debate, last Monday, a bill that declares it as a new national symbol; coffee -also known as “the golden grain”- will join the set of national symbols.
The initiative -promoted by legislator Wagner Jiménez, of the National Liberation Party (PLN)- aims to recognize the value of coffee in the economic and social development of Costa Rica. As Jiménez explained, coffee has been an important part of the country’s economy and history, according to a well-known local digital newspaper.
For the legislator, coffee was for many years the basis of national agricultural activity and boosted the development of all the people who live from their cultivation. “National symbols allow us to know our roots, but the experience of them identifies us as members of a community”, said the liberationist.
The bill will now go to the Executive Branch for signature and publication in the official newspaper La Gaceta.
Coca-Cola Launches a New Drink with Coffee in Costa Rica
Coca-Cola expands its beverage portfolio in Costa Rica with the launch of Coca-Cola with Coffee. The bottler describes it as “a drink made from real coffee beans, with no sugar or calories”.
“Coca-Cola with Coffee combines the flavor of Coca-Cola with a touch of coffee. This drink is perfect for coffee lovers because, in addition to its flavor, it is an important source of energy thanks to its caffeine content (30% more than the Original Coca-Cola or Sugar-Free Coca-Cola)”, explained William Segura , public affairs and communication manager of Coca-Cola for Central America.
With this new proposal, Coca-Cola increases the supply of products for Costa Rican consumers and enters to compete in the market of traditional coffee-based beverages.
“Costa Rica is the 2nd country in Latin America with more coffee consumers, only below Brazil, which leads the list. We identified a great opportunity to enter this segment with an innovative drink to continue growing in the national market”, added Segura.
This launch is part of the “Route to the future of the Coca-Cola System”, which aims to offer consumers more beverage options, with less sugar, clearer and more detailed information on the products, as well as smaller packages that they adapt better to the different moments of consumption.
“Coca-Cola with Coffee combines the best of both worlds, the refreshing taste of a Coca-Cola and coffee: indulgence, sociability and extra mood”, said Alexandra Echeverría, marketing manager of the bottler for Costa Rica. The Central American country is the 5th in Latin America to market this new Coca-Cola product. Previously, it was launched in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Haiti.
The company adds 4 variants of Coca-Cola in the market (Original Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola without Sugar, Coca-Cola Light Flavor and Coca-Cola with Coffee). The soft drink also offers a wide variety of drinks whose offer includes water, juices, seed-based drinks, cold tea and sports drinks.
A sustainable bet for the worldwide company
Coca-Cola has its route to the future: less sugar, small containers, more beverage options and more information, to become a company that responds to the tastes and needs of consumers.
“Today, Coca-Cola, as a company, is more focused on innovation, brand building and the creation of a diverse and consumer-focused portfolio with the goal of being a total beverage company. Instead of telling consumers what to drink, we will continue to adjust our portfolio to their tastes and needs. We are sure that this approach is fundamental to our growth in the region”, said Segura.
The firm drives its vision “A world without waste” under which it is intended to change the way in which the Coca-Cola System creates and delivers packages, and then helps to collect and recycle them. “With our bottling partners, NGOs, local governments and consumers, the company works to establish the best way forward, market by market, in order to reduce our impact on the environment and improve our performance in the area of packaging”, emphasized Segura.
Currently, in Costa Rica, everything that makes up the packaging of the company’s products is 100% recyclable. By 2030, it was established as a goal to collect and properly dispose of 100% of the packages issued to the market, through the Mission Planeta platform, operated by Coca-Cola FEMSA, bottling partner of Coca-Cola Company.
The bottler is the only company in Costa Rica whose total portfolio in PET has 25% recycled resin, that is, 1/4 of each of the bottles comes from a previously recycled bottle. This percentage may be increased gradually, as the collection of packaging begins to increase.
