Throughout the short time span of two weeks, it is incredible how much information I have gained pertaining to the coffee industry and sustainability. Prior to arriving, I realized that Costa Rica had a strong focus on preservation of the environment, but after visiting and speaking with companies I have come to realize the incredible emphasis that businesses place on sustainability. For coffee farms in particular, they are consistently searching for new ways to promote social sustainability and environmental protection. More specifically, Life Monteverde for example focuses on reforestation efforts that will be beneficial not only to them, but to the rest of the community. Coffee farms also choose to comply with environmental certifications such as fair trade, carbon neutral, and the rainforest alliance. Coffee farms also focus on social and economic sustainability through providing housing, meals, and other amenities to their coffee pickers to ensure that they return to work for future seasons.

Coffee mills were a portion of the coffee making process that I was very unfamiliar with. However, I now have a deeper understanding of what the milling process entails, and have an appreciation for what goes into getting a single green bean ready for roasting. Sustainability doesn’t just stop after the farming portion of the supply chain. It carries on into the mills as companies find innovative ways to reduce the waste that is being produced from the milling process. For example, the skin can be recycled here and reused as fertilizer for the coffee farmers. Hydropower is another method of an environmentally sustainable practice that coffee mills chose to incorporate instead of using electric power.

In regards to the roasting and exporting of coffee beans, it is important to notice that many roasting companies strive to focus of sustainability as well. Many roasters choose to educate tourists on the roasting process and the importance of recycling. The parchment of the coffee fruit can be used to heat the roasting machine instead of being discarded as waste. Britt is a roasting company that really pushes for social sustainability through placing an emphasis on employee career development to help create a sustainable and growing community. This company also incorporates environmental sustainability into their strategic plan as well through recycling unused coffee bags by paying local women to make them into purses and other styles of bags that will be sold in their retail locations. This promotes economic and social sustainability as well because the community is benefiting from employment opportunities.

Many retail stores in Costa Rica choose to incorporate aspects of ecotourism in order to promote both economic and environmental sustainability as the popularity of this type of travel continuously increases. Coopedota takes social sustainability one step further as they provide the opportunity for community members to join a barista school and work in their famous café locations. As for retail stores that receive coffee from Costa Rica like Starbucks, they choose to purchase from companies that align with the sustainability standards that they have set forth.

The importance of sustainability in all aspects of the coffee industry carries throughout the entire supply chain all the way down to the customer purchasing the final product. Some customers look for and purchase products from companies that are labeled as complying with the rain forest alliance, fair trade, and other certifications. Sustainability also plays a role in regards to the customer when discussing it in an economical context. Companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with the products so that they can ensure economic production indefinitely at a defined level. This is important because this economic sustainability would not be possible without beginning with a strong sustainable focus from the coffee farmers. Overall, I have come to realize how important each step of the coffee process is, especially in regards to sustainability of the company, the environment, and the communities dependent on it. Each portion of the supply chain has its own role to play, and all are equally important to the success of the entire coffee industry from the coffee farms all the way to the end consumers.