Faces of Costa Rica

Costa Rica: A Coffee Culture?

Walk into any supermarket in Costa Rica, and the coffee aisle will be replete with a variety of Costa Rican coffees. Do a Google search on Costa Rican coffee and you will get approximately 118,000 results. Head to the nearest Starbucks, and you will find Costa Rican coffee.

Coffee was first introduced to Costa Rica in 1808, and quickly became Costa Rica's staple crop. Cafeteleros, or coffee growers, became a political and economic force in the country.

Today, because of the volatility of coffee prices and a more diversified economy, coffee no longer controls the economy. Still, approximately 330 million pounds of coffee are hand picked annually on 250,000 acres throughout the country. Coffee is Costa Rica's third largest export product, and in 2002, it made up 13 percent of export earnings.

• Costa Rican Coffee Institute -- This non-state public organization which oversees coffee production and regulates both exports and domestic sales. The site offers information on coffee in Costa Rica and is not part of Faces of Costa Rica.

• International Coffee Organization -- The main intergovernmental coffee organization that brings coffee exporting and importing countries together. The site includes interesting information on coffee production in Costa Rica and is not part of Faces of Costa Rica.

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