The grand opening of the Las Nubes Coffee Kiosk in Central Square, on York’s Keele campus, will be held Nov. 15-17, with the official ceremony taking place at 10am on Nov. 15. The opening celebration will feature hourly prizes of coffee for a week and free bookmarks. The kiosk sells only Las Nubes Coffee, plus a generic decaffeinated coffee, hot chocolate, teas and fruit drinks, complemented by healthy snacks, nuts and fruits.
Las Nubes Coffee is the University’s own coffee, produced in the region around York's Las Nubes Biological Reserve, a rainforest and biological reserve located in Costa Rica. The coffee is produced by a partnership of the local farmers' cooperative (CoopeAgri), the Tropical Science Centre for Costa Rica and York's Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES).
Las Nubes Coffee, judged by international standards, is a premium or "specialty" high quality coffee. It has been certified sustainable because of its ecologically sound production and processing method. The coffee has also been certified as a fair trade coffee that provides social and economic justice for producer families. The coffee, which has received two international awards, contributes to York student and faculty research in Las Nubes through the Fisher Fund for Neotropical Conservation.
The Las Nubes Coffee Kiosk is managed by Sodexho, which makes a significant contribution to the Fisher Fund from its sales of Las Nubes Coffee. Sodexho has also taken an important step toward sustainability at York by serving coffee in recyclable paper cups, not only at the kiosk, but at all of its beverage outlets on campus.
Right: York's FES sponsored an art contest as part of an environmental fair that was held in September in Santa Elena, Costa Rica. Student L.A. Wainer created the winning drawing.
There is also a donation box at the kiosk. Donations go directly to the Fisher Fund to support environmental education programs in the local schools near Las Nubes.
York's FES sponsored an art contest as part of an environmental fair held in Santa Elena, Costa Rica in September. Student L.A. Wainer was the winner in the older age group.