Carlos Vargas Leitón

Carlos Vargas Leitón was born into a peasant family in the northern mountains of Costa Rica. Being one of 12 children, he grew up with the experience of struggling to meet basic needs. Despite their hardships, Carlos’s family always prioritized schooling and professional development.

Carlos has been involved in coffee cooperatives in Costa Rica for over 40 years, with major focuses on the strategy, finance, and marketing of coffee. Carlos holds two bachelor’s degrees in International Commerce and Finance from the UIA of San José, Costa Rica, as well as a master’s degree in Management from the Universidad Inter América (now Universidad Latina). He has completed specialized courses in the areas of Senior Management, Management with Leadership, Management and Finance, and Consulting at the INCAE Business School.

From 2000-2001, Carlos was part of a team of three people who spearheaded the process to reform the National Coffee Law in Costa Rica. He also was part of the group that worked to make the resources of the Banking Development System reach small producers and placed Coopetarrazú as one of the main operators of the system.

Since 2004, Carlos has been a member of the CoopeTarrazú Management Team and has been General Manager since 2017. This cooperative currently processes 15% of Costa Rica’s production, with over 4,500 small affiliated producers. The cooperative is one of the main suppliers of Fair Trade Certified coffee.

Carlos previously served as a Fair Trade USA Member of the Board of Directors from 2003 to 2013, then moved to its Advisory Council. He was elected to re-join the Board in October 2019.