Delfina Porras Solís, Costa Rica
Alto el Vapor Specialty Coffee Micromill
Please tell us a little about yourself:
I currently have two coffee-related jobs, but honestly, I don’t really see either of them as “work” because they are things I truly love and enjoy doing. On one hand, I work at a coffee micro-mill, a family business (with my mom and my brothers) that started five years ago during COVID, born from the need to add value to my mom’s small farm and remain in coffee production. We focus on producing, processing, and exporting specialty coffee, committed to sustainability, quality, transparency, and traceability. I don’t have a defined role—we work as a team where one person’s weakness is another’s strength. Sometimes I help on the farm, other times with processing, quality control, barista work, or anything else the project needs. On the other hand, I work alongside my husband in a coffee micro-mill we started two years ago, with the goal of supporting more people in our community in finding fairer and more sustainable opportunities. We live in an area where 95% of the economy depends on coffee, so the community’s well-being is directly tied to the health of the coffee industry. Our focus is on working with producer families we know—farmers who grow high-quality coffee but, for various reasons, sell their harvest to large companies without receiving a fair or differentiated value. Many of these families cannot process their own coffee: in some cases, because the producers are elderly and there hasn’t been generational integration; in others, because they lack the technical capacity or resources. Beyond seeking better opportunities for their coffee and their families, our intention is to build relationships based on trust and to participate in educational projects that contribute to the sustainability and well-being of coffee farming—for example, offering workshops both inside and outside the community. Although I was born and raised in a community where 95% of families depend on coffee—and grew up among coffee trees, enjoying the rain and puddles—coffee was simply part of my lifestyle. Still, I was a child and young adult whose mother always told her: “Study, study, so you won’t have to work in coffee; it’s too hard.” With God’s help, my mom gave me the opportunity to study, which meant moving to the city. But in my heart, I always wanted to return to my hometown—even though job opportunities there were very scarce. By a twist of fate, COVID brought my brothers and me back to my mom’s house, and that’s when we realized the situation she was facing with the farm. We decided to join forces and set up a micro-mill with what we had. We asked my mom to lend us a small house she rented out to use as a storage space, my brother used some of his savings to buy a manual pulper, and we built drying beds in her backyard. That year was one of the most important moments of my life, because coffee gave me the opportunity to work, return to my hometown, and try to save my mom’s farm. Today, this remains one of the projects I pour my heart into and work on every day. In these years in the industry, I have discovered that one of the most valuable things coffee has given me is the opportunity to connect with and get to know people who, from different links in the chain, are rowing in the same direction. We row together in pursuit of a more prosperous industry—one that will not disappear over time. That’s why I am excited to connect with and meet more people immersed in coffee.
What are you excited to do while you are in Milan?
In these years in the industry, I have discovered that one of the most valuable things coffee has given me is the opportunity to connect with and get to know people who, from different links in the chain, are rowing in the same direction. We row together in pursuit of a more prosperous industry—one that will not disappear over time. That’s why I am excited to connect with and meet more people immersed in coffee.
What are your interests outside of coffee?
Besides coffee, one of my greatest passions is sharing about the importance of mental health—something I also nurture as a psychology student. I feel that today, as a society, we often get lost in the superficial and forget what is essential to be well: living in peace, with balance and happiness. I deeply believe that many things could improve, even at a social level, if each of us worked on caring for and strengthening our own “square meter.” If we heal the wounds left by our life stories, we can live with greater freedom, fulfillment, and connection with others. Also, providing women with tools and confidence in themselves is something that fills my heart. I defend their rights not only because they are women, but simply because they are human beings. I believe in defending these rights not through violence, but by using soft power: dialogue, respect, and leading by example. While the foundation here is not coffee itself, coffee has given me the opportunity to connect, as a facilitator, with women who are part of this industry—not only to talk about coffee, but also to create community, remind ourselves that we are capable, and that we are not alone. And, in the end, I am certain that I learn far more from them than they do from me.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
Every time I have the opportunity to step on a stage, or when I am in the midst of preparation, my mind and heart are filled with thoughts of all the people who have been with me since life and God brought me into the specialty coffee industry. I cannot limit my gratitude only to those who have directly helped me with the competition; my memory travels to also remember and thank the producer families, pickers, farm workers, processors, exporters, buyers, importers, roasters, coffee shops, baristas, and final consumers… in general, all those people who have supported me, motivated me, and contributed to shaping my path in this industry. I am fully aware that, without the joint work and effort of every link in the chain, this dream would have no chance of becoming a reality. The preparation for this competition has been a deeply rewarding process, thanks to all the people who, from the very first day this idea came into my mind, told me: “We support you, and we will be with you.” First of all, I want to thank my coach, Eduardo Ramírez, who above all is my husband and my friend. Thank you for pushing me forward and walking alongside me in my effort to become better every day. Thank you for having the words of a coach, but also words of affection for those days that are more difficult. To Adrián Ramírez, our roaster, for making each roast shine and for believing in this dream. To Beatriz Romero, who has been there for anything I needed, always looking for ways to improve every part of the presentation. To the three of you, thank you for washing so many cups, for listening to the presentation a thousand times, for tasting so much coffee, and for making time to accompany me in every training and every meeting. To my family and the Alto El Vapor team, for being so resilient, for producing and processing specialty coffee sustainably, with quality, love, and passion. I also want to thank all the people who believe in this dream and who, with their support, will join me in the final stretch of this preparation.
