NMSU students study coffee in Puerto Rico

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) - This summer, New Mexico State University students traveled to Puerto Rico to study the coffee industry — but what they brought back was more than research.

“Most of my career goals do take me to Latin America in the first place,” said

That interest took Denisse Banuelos to Puerto Rico on an experimental learning program where NMSU students got to study the island's coffee industry.

“I’m very interested in international work.”

Students were able to meet with growers, processors, and producers to learn about the process which takes the beverage from bean to cup. They also explored the challenges many of these farmers face which extend beyond the island.

“Even though technically it’s U.S. territory, so when I saw the opportunity arose and they were in particular looking for students that also spoke Spanish, I was very interested in the program.”

The program brought together students from multiple universities to study Puerto Rico's coffee supply chain from the ground up.

Carlos Carpio Ochoa, Professor at NMSU's Department of Agriculture Economics and Business said, "What we did is we took students from three of the institutions, and we took them to Puerto Rico. And basically the idea was to study, get acquainted with the coffee supply chain.”

Student also gained a deeper understanding of the culture and labor in the industry.

For Banuelos the experience changed more than just her perspective.

"I have a much richer understanding of the effort that it takes to grow coffee. The struggles in the industry, the importance of keeping different coffee cultures alive, and advocating for farmers everywhere, but especially in Puerto Rico," she added.