You may not know that every time you choose a cup of Costa Rican coffee, you are tasting a unique product, one that is rare in the world. You’re savoring the result of an incredible process, which can be defined as a perfect balance between social, economic, environmental, and democratic factors.
Costa Rican coffee production has no equal in the world. The closest comparison is the cooperative model, but in reality, Costa Rica has become a vast national cooperative. This model reflects deeply rooted values that are internationally recognized, such as integrity, total transparency, traceability, historical compliance despite challenges, fairness throughout the process, legality, strict environmental protection practices, and, of course, quality.
92% of the country’s coffee producers own family farms, which on average are no larger than two hectares (about 5 acres). Every single coffee bean is handpicked, one by one, when the bean reaches a deep red color and has developed all the sweetness of the fruit.
In Costa Rica, producers deliver their coffee beans to the coffee processors of their choice in exchange for an advance payment. The processors then transport the beans to their processing plants and later to local marketing and exporting entities. As they sell the product, they pay the producers, allowing everyone in the process to benefit economically.
A law created in 1961 established an “equitable framework for relationships between producers, processors, and exporters,” ensuring a fair share for each sector in the coffee business. This law is still in effect today.
Costa Rican producers receive at least 80% of the final sale price, in contrast to what happens in the rest of the world, where farmers are often the least involved in the benefits due to their limited knowledge of the commercialization process. In Costa Rica, producers are fully protected, and there is even an agency that regulates all national coffee transactions in a completely transparent process, allowing producers to view everything that happens.
Costa Rican producers also possess a high level of knowledge about coffee quality, the final product, and even cupping, thanks to a continuous and shared training system. The coffee each producer cultivates keeps its name and identity until it reaches its final destination—it is never “lost” or “mixed.” In fact, a package of Costa Rican coffee you might find in a store in Japan or anywhere else in the world is likely to display not only the variety and region but also the name of the producer or the farm that grew it.
This small country has been a global reference for decades, not only for its processes but also for the exceptional quality and diversity of its coffee. This has been made possible thanks to a high level of innovation in research and technology, driven by the Costa Rican Coffee Institute (ICAFE), founded in 1933.
Is Costa Rican coffee expensive? Simply put, it has the fairest price in the world in relation to its quality. It’s the most democratic price, especially for the producer. This must also be attributed to its uniqueness, strict sustainability standards, and good agricultural and environmental practices. Fortunately, today’s consumers are more willing than ever to pay for and value these aspects.
But this story has much more to reveal. If you’ve traveled to Costa Rica, you may have noticed something unique: the phenomenon of microclimates. Advances in meteorology have yet to predict them with complete accuracy. In just a short distance, you can experience a landscape of highland temperatures of 4°C (39°F), only to reach a beach with temperatures of 28°C (82°F) in a matter of hours.
This climatic particularity, combined with factors like light, rainfall, plant diversity, and strict agricultural practices—such as shade management that eliminates the need for herbicides—gives Costa Rican arabica coffee its incomparable characteristics.
Costa Ricans value and enjoy their coffee. A fun fact is that there is a “Costa Rican Specialty Coffee Passport,” which includes almost 40 local specialty coffee destinations across the country’s 7 provinces. In each one, you’ll find a passionate barista eager to guide you through the different coffee characteristics found across the country’s 8 coffee-growing regions: the processing methods used, the type of roast, flavor notes, acidity, sweetness, and bitterness, among others. And of course, you’ll be encouraged to savor a cup of specialty coffee prepared with one of the many new brewing methods, such as the “Vandola,” “chorreado,” “Chemex,” “Aeropress,” “Kalita,” or the well-known “French Press,” all of which reveal new characteristics in body and sweetness.
Thank you for choosing our “golden grain.” Rest assured, you are holding the product of the loving and proud work of many families who can sustain a valuable system, thanks to your preference.
Written by Susana Guevara, MBA. Hotelier and expert tourism expert in Costa Rica market. She writes for specialized hospitality media and is a senior consultant at the Consuhotel firm.
