By Craig Zammit
SYDNEY: Nespresso Australia launched a new program today called The Summer Campus Program, which will allow one Australian student to travel to Costa Rica to learn sustainable means of coffee cultivation and create a more eco-friendly future.
“Sustainability and the origin of the food we eat is a topical issue in Australia, as farmers across the country face the harsh reality of drought. This makes it an ideal time for a student from Australia to visit Costa Rica and learn more about how sustainability can impact our lives now and in the future” said Nespresso Australia general manager, Jerome Casteigt.
Approximately 20 students from around the globe will be brought together by Nespresso to visit a Costa Rican university campus which features eco-friendly lodges, coffee plantations, wet milling centres, botanical gardens, rainforests, waterfalls and beaches.
Through an interactive syllabus, students will learn about the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program, designed to improve the overall quality of life for coffee farmers and their communities.
Under the tutelage of local experts from Nespresso and the Rainforest Alliance, students will explore topics including bio-diversity, sustainable growing techniques, highest quality coffee farming, beneficial business practices and eco-tourism, while also being involved in everything from coffee-picking, tree-planting, coffee tasting and wildlife excursions.
Local academic institutions such as the INCAE, the leading Latin American Business School, will also play key roles throughout the program.
Australian university students between the ages of 18-28 can apply online now by visiting www.nespresso-aaa-campus.com and completing the online application before March 14, 2007.