As a wannabe coffee connoisseur, I am truly eager to try world renowned and invigorating coffee. Being able to see where my beans come from and how they’re grown, cultivated, processed, and shipped will allow me to truly value what I hold in my hand every morning. But this whole process would be different if it were done under sub-optimal conditions.

Costa Rica ranks in the top 10 for global environmental sustainability. With this rating, this ensures me that products from Costa Rica are sustainability sourced and produced. It’s quite impressive to find a country with most of it’s GDP focused on crops be so committed to sustainability.

In order to ensure the future of the country, Costa Rica has increased its amount of protected forests and ocean area. By increasing forest area, this can reduce global warming and the negative effects of climate change.

To continue the fight against climate change, Costa Rica has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2021. This affects farms in the country because they use fertilizers that contain nitrous oxide. This is a potent greenhouse gas that goes into the atmosphere. Methane from farm animals and CO2 from vehicles are also common greenhouse gasses that are polluting the environment.

With more trees and less greenhouse gasses, the country will be on track to be carbon neutral by its goal. The direct impact that this has on farms is clear: the need for alternative fertilizers and better transportation methods.

I am very excited to go to Costa Rica to experience a different culture from that of Western PA and to taste the very fresh coffee that is produced in the country.