Alina, a native of Costa Rica, joined the 4C Association in 2008. After nearly four years of working with the Association, she feels confident that there is room for joint action to improve practices, build knowledge and create solutions. After studying Economics at the University of Costa Rica and working at a consultancy firm on economic and financial topics, she enrolled in a master’s degree program in International Development with an emphasis on Economics of Rural Development at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Her initial involvement in the coffee business came when she traveled to Vietnam for field research on implementing verification and certification schemes in coffee production. Getting in contact with coffee-producing communities was a turning point providing an overview of the realities, difficulties, and challenges in this sector.
