Coffee in Costa Rica

Thanks to constant innovation, the diversity of coffee varieties cultivated, advanced technical knowledge, and the great interest generated by coffee growing, Costa Rica is one of the most 'cutting-edge' producing countries in Central America. Climatic conditions play a major role in the quality of the coffee produced.

The country has eight coffee regions: Guanacaste, West Valley, Turrialba, Valle Central (central valley), Tres Rios, Brunca, Orosi and Tarrazú, a specific part of Valle Central.

The History of Coffee in Costa Rica

Since independence from Spain in 1821, coffee has been a central part of Costa Rican culture. At that time, the new government distributed free coffee beans to citizens to promote coffee production. Costa Rica was soon exporting green coffee beans throughout South America.

Two decades later, in 1843, the first shipment of Costa Rican green coffee arrived in England. In 1860, Costa Rica began supplying coffee to the United States. Coffee growing played such a significant role in Costa Rican production that coffee was the country's sole export for the years following its independence until 1890.

Quality at the heart of concerns

In Costa Rica, farmers face many obstacles. First, production costs are very high compared to neighboring countries. Second, the growth of the tourism industry, combined with the influx of foreign companies bringing increasing amounts of money into the country, has created inflation. While inflation and an improved quality of life have had many positive effects for the population, rural areas struggle to keep up with the rising cost of land and produce, and the resulting rise in labor costs. As a result, Costa Rican coffee tends to be more expensive.

It's precisely because their coffees are more expensive that Costa Rican farmers must differentiate themselves from other producing countries in the Americas. To the delight of specialty coffee lovers, Costa Rica has become a key player in the sector, whether for the quality of its Arabicas or the diversity of coffee processing.

In regions like Tarrazu, ideal for coffee growing, competition is even fiercer: to remain competitive, producers are investing in micro-stations, cultivating exotic varieties, and adopting alternative processing methods. This desire to improve their coffees is beneficial for both farmers and the specialty coffee sector: experimentation and innovation can lead to new varieties, new cultivation and processing techniques, new storage protocols, and more.

Innovations in terms of Quality, Sustainability & Traceability

Costa Rica has become a world leader in traceability and sustainability in coffee production. Ninety percent of the country's 50,000 coffee producers are smallholders, and today, many deliver their cherries to micro-processing plants, which process the cherries according to the farmer's instructions, preserving the qualities of a particular batch or farm.

These micro-processing stations are enjoying growing success; it is a unique phenomenon specific to Costa Rica: the ' micro-mill revolution' . Before the early 2000s, small producers often delivered their cherries to processing stations belonging to cooperatives. The development of specialty coffees has encouraged farmers to invest in their own processing station to transform their freshly picked cherries into green coffee on their farm. The farmer thus retains control over his production while guaranteeing its traceability. At the same time, this investment allows the producer to sell his coffee 30 to 50% more expensive than if he went through an independent station.

Microstations with excess capacity offer their services to neighboring farmers and offer different processing methods for small batches, as well as complete traceability, which is dear to importers and new roasters.

This system has enabled small and medium-sized coffee producers in Costa Rica to offer a wide range of differentiated products. Today, Costa Rican specialty batches can bear the name of both the farm and the micro-processing plant where they were processed.

Costa Rica's unpredictable and dry climate can make growing coffee difficult. Long dry seasons and unpredictable weather make organic farming nearly impossible. Nevertheless, both farmers and the government are taking steps to protect the environment, particularly with regard to water use and pollution. Wastewater is subject to very strict filtration requirements. The high cost of these water filtration systems explains why standard, fully washed coffees are not produced on a large scale. Most Costa Rican coffees are washed using centrifugal force rather than water to remove the mucilage.

Costa Rican Coffee in the World

When Juan Ramon Alvarado won the Cosecha de Oro in 2006, he undoubtedly made the most of this constraint. Both of Alvarado's winning lots were honey coffees treated with a degumming agent. His unconventional coffees and unexpected victory further transformed processing methods in Costa Rica.

The emergence of micro-processing plants and this new trend toward experimenting with coffee processing developed simultaneously. In a very short period of time, the country went from being a 'producer of clean and predictable washed coffees' to a 'specialty coffee producer', offering a wide range of natural and honey coffees, available in almost every color of the rainbow. These coffees are renowned for their wide range of flavor profiles and are readily available... provided you pay the price!

What Future for Costa Rican Coffee?

Costa Rica's climate and beautiful turquoise waters are attracting more and more people. Natural areas and coffee fields have given way to expanding cities, particularly in the region surrounding the capital, San José. This real estate expansion is increasingly threatening the coffee industry: faced with large construction companies, farmers are no match for the competition and have no choice but to sell their farms.

Like other Latin American coffee-producing countries, Costa Rica has been suffering the effects of low coffee prices for several years, leading many farmers to turn to other crops or seek employment in urban areas. According to a study conducted by the Costa Rican Coffee Institute, the number of coffee farmers decreased by 19% between 2007 and 2017.

At the same time, compared to other countries with similar conditions, Costa Rican farms are more protected: mechanisms that lead to high labor costs and more expensive coffee protect farmers, located in mountainous regions that are difficult to mechanize, from takeovers by large companies.