Product Overview
About the coffee region:
Costa Rica is a small pearl in the heart of Central America with stunning selection of exotic landscapes and natural playgrounds. Among Pacific and Caribbean Coast beaches, numerous national parks, volcanoes and rainforests that buzz with life, you’ll find this impressive country with stable government and relative safety compared to some of its Central American neighbours.
The coffee industry is well developed and regulated by the national government coffee institution Icafe (Instituto del Café de Costa Rica). Good regulatory compliance benefits Costa Rica’s smallholder coffee farmers, who make up 70 percent of the country’s coffee-farming population and each hold fewer than 10 hectares, to be monitored and protected with minimum living standards and widely enforced minimum wages for all employees.
Most of the country’s coffee is grown in the regions of Tarrazú, Central Valley, West Valley, Tres Rios, Brunca, Guanacaste, Orosi & Turrialba. In these regions the soil is volcanic, slightly acidic and extremely fertile and the climate with temperatures ranging from 17 to 28 Celsius degrees is perfect for growing coffee.
More than 80% of Costa Rica’s coffee plantations are located between 800 meters and 1600 meters altitude and produce only Arabica Coffee (which gained the prize for the highest quality coffee).
Costa Rica is a leader in the boutique ‘micro mill’ and microlot movements, which allow specific lots to be traced back to a unique farm or plot.
Typical varieties produced in Costa Rica are Typica, Caturra, Catuai, Villa Sarchi, Bourbon & Gesha. The most classic Costa Rican coffees are mild and softly acidic.
Nowadays, Costa Rican coffee is prized as some of the world’s best and is shipped all over the world. About 90 percent of the Costa Rican coffee is exported and the revenue accounting for around 11 percent of Costa Rica’s export earnings.