Coffee production is an important contributor of the Costa Rican economy and Costa Rica's economy in general. In 2006, coffee came in as the economy's number three export, after settling in the number one position for the past few decades. Costa Rican coffee is also considered to be a high-caffeine variety and is often mixed together with inferior varieties to moderate the amount of caffeine.
Costa Rica's coffee industry has a rich history that traces itself from the 18th century, when coffee arabica was imported to grow in the Meseta Central. It has always relied on cheap labor to ensure its prosperity. Today, however, the industry is greatly reduced by the continuous expansion of the country's urban areas. Major coffee plantations can be found in the regions of West Valley, Tarrazu, Tres Rios, Orosi, Brunca, and Turrialba.
If you're looking for some native Costa Rican coffee during your stay, you might want to check out this guide to top coffee brands from CoffeeHabitat.com. According to the article, some of the top Costa Rican coffee brands include the following:
- La Minita (Tarrazu) - a lot of third parties say that coffee grown from this estate is the most sought-after variety in the entire country.
- Sustainable Harvest
- Hacienda La Amistad
- Cerro del Fuego
- Cafe Britt
- Doka Estate
Of course the expansive Costa Rican coffee industry is not prosperous without side effects on the environment. One major issue is the pollution of the country's rivers during the separation and de-pulping process in the coffee mills. It was only in the early 1990's when this issue raised the concerns of government officials, urging them to pass legislation in 1995 that will regulate proper waste disposal in the coffee plants.
One way that farmers use in order to combat pollution is to use the waste as fertilizer to the soil, but rapid deforestation due to coffee harvesting is now also becoming a major problem.
