Roger Plana

Global Agronomist, Sustainability & Executive Board Member at Café World Summit

Speaker

A global Agronomist Engineer with an MBA in Agribusiness and an Executive master’s in marketing, Roger brings over 15+ years of experience in agribusiness and added value crop programs across local and international markets. Roger expertise spans Marketing and Technical Management roles, with a proven track record of driving growth and innovation.

As a board member for the Café World Summit organization in Costa Rica, he played a key role in hosting this milestone event earlier this year in San José, Costa Rica. The grower’s summit, supported by ICAFE, SINTERCAFE, and the University of Costa Rica (UCR), highlighted Costa Rica's leadership in the global specialty coffee industry. He is also an ambassador for Costa Rica’s coffee cluster growers, proudly representing the nation’s excellence in specialty coffee.

Co-leading this keynote presentation with Mariano Vargas, a Costa Rican agronomist and prominent leader in the coffee farming sector. Mariano took part as Operations Manager at La Hilda Estate, a fourth-generation coffee producer recognized for its exceptional specialty coffee grown to the highest standards of sustainability. In addition to his work at La Hilda, he served as an Associate Professor at EARTH University, was the founder of "Foro Al Grano," and a co-organizer of the Café World Summit. As a staunch advocate for agroecological practices, he focuses on promoting rural development and addressing climate change through innovative agricultural methods.

Together, Roger Plana and Mariano Vargas will provide unique insights into sustainable practices, innovation, and the future of specialty coffee.