Activity Description: Cafe Solar is the branded coffee of the Solar Trade Corporation and its non-profit affiliate the Mesoamerican Development Institute, which developed an energy-efficient and low-cost technology used to dry coffee beans.

Solar Trade Corporation is a Fair Trade organization that deals with farmers directly. This benefits farmers substantially by advancing producers in the value-added chain, bringing greater value back to the source, providing farmers with more control over the sale of their coffee, offering an option to commodity coffee sales, and substantially reducing processing costs.

Activity Description: Comercio Alternativo is an organic foods company in Costa Rica that works with small and medium farmers to sell directly to consumers and specialty food stores. The company's mission is to become Costa Rica's leading supplier of value-added organic goods to national and international clients.

Comercio Alternativo will be stimulating organic agricultural practices and providing an economically viable alternative for farmers while contributing to increased food security. By promoting organic agriculture and offsetting the use of agrochemicals, these organic farmers help satisfy growing markets for their produce, conserve and enhance biodiversity, have a positive impact on soil conservation and water regimes and at the same time improve the health of their families and local communities.

Activity Description: In partnership with the Hospital San Vicente de Paul, the Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica is introducing a solar oven as an environmentally-sound and cost-effective method of sterilizing hazardous hospital biological waste.

Activity Description: Through the use of a multi-tiered pricing model (in which higher revenues earned from wealthier patients cross-subsidize low-income patients), ASEMBIS of Costa Rica has created a financially self-sustaining network of eye care clinics that offer services from basic eye examinations to sophisticated surgical procedures, at a 40-70% discount from the market rate.

ASEMBIS's integrated netw