Costa Rican Coffee

In a country that has enacted laws protecting 21% of its territory in order to preserve the 5% of the world's biodiversity that it shelters, Costa Ricans are encouraged by their environment to love what they do and to do it well.

In its desire to protect the environment, Costa Rica has carefully tended the soils and climate that are best suited to coffee production . Costa Rica's soils, having been enriched by volcanic ash, contains a slight degree of tropical acidity. They are also rich in organic matter, which makes for good distribution of the coffee plant's root system, enabling them to retain humidity and facilitating oxygenation. This combination of factors invigorates the coffee plants and is one of many elements contributing to the quality of Costa Rican coffee.

Over 70% of the country's coffee is produced in the mountains which varies in altitude from 3,280 to 5,580 feet above sea level. Mountain temperatures range from 63 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Sunlight is stable and precipitation levels are ideal. All this makes for a dependable and high-quality coffee crop that is comparable to those produced in a greenhouse.

Costa Rica is the only country in the world which has issued an executive order (N°19302-MAG, 4 December 1989) banning the production of any variety of coffee other than Arabica. This standard is made possible by the expertise, experience, and favorable physical conditions which converge in this remarkable land.

For more in depth information about Costa Rican coffee, please visit the ICAFE