I cannot believe that our two weeks in Costa Rica are ending. This trip went by quickly, but time flies by when you have the time of your life! I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience and gone through it with this fantastic group. On our last day exploring, we visited a strawberry farm. We saw where they were grown and picked a container of lovely ripe strawberries. I tried these fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate along with a strawberry icy refresher drink, which was so delicious. We then went to La Paz and saw a butterfly garden, where one landed on my finger, pumas, jaguars, and gorgeous waterfalls. There were five different waterfalls, and we got close to them. I loved listening to the sound of the water falling, but not the sound of me falling down the stairs. We ended the night at a soccer game between Heredia and Alajuela. It was pouring down rain, but it was an excellent experience. Who knew we would be at a big soccer game in Costa Rica! It was a fantastic day. 

We have learned how industry, culture, and the environment have shaped Costa Rica’s tropical agriculture trade. From the coffee, banana, pineapple, strawberry, and chocolate tours to the tours around Heredia and San José, we have learned much about Costa Rica. My team has specifically been focusing on the source step of the supply chain. Regarding the farm, two main parts must be sourced: labor and raw materials. Most plantations source their labor from Nicaragua. They offer two to five dollars for every basket that the workers fill. Workers complete about seven baskets per day. They give these workers benefits such as free housing, electricity, water, and child care to ensure their return the following year. Farmers have been using organic fertilizers due to the disease and fungi threatening the plants. These fertilizers can harm the soil and the nearby communities, so most farms are trying to develop organic fertilizers. Places like Café Monteverde and the organic pineapple plantation that we visited are examples of plantations that created their organic fertilizer. For coffee plantations, some grow their coffee from start to finish, while others only perform roasting. For instance, Britt gets their coffee from Doka, and they roast it. The plantations with the more straightforward processes, like the pineapple and banana farms, grow their produce. The plantations we visited have successfully gotten workers to keep returning to work and sourcing the raw materials necessary for their products. As a customer, I now want to buy more organic items after seeing how vital the organic fertilizers are to the environment. Seeing all the hard work that goes into the products I can quickly buy at the grocery store gives me a solid new appreciation for these Costa Rican workers. 

The next step that needs to be examined is the processing mills and exporters. For this, we need to look at the sourcing of technology, which includes sourcing a significant factor: water. Many plantations have been using renewable sources of energy. At Doka, they use a wet mill to sort the coffee beans. This mill uses solely water that is sourced from a natural spring. Café Britt, the owner of Hacienda Doka’s mill, is looking to change the sorting process by eliminating the wet mill and finding a method that does not need water. This way, they will not have the problem of having no water or coffee because water is needed to produce coffee. Doka burns excess coffee fruit peels and the beans’ husks to power the electric dryers. These dryers are only used when there is not enough sun to dry the beans in a certain amount of time. They try to use the sun as a form of solar energy first before resorting to the use of electric dryers. Climate change has significantly impacted Costa Rica, with less and less rainfall each year. This is why plantations like Café  Britt have encouraged their workers to reuse water for coffee. With the lack of rainfall, other methods need to be looked into. After looking into the technology of how the coffee beans are sorted and the necessity for water, I better understand how coffee is made and what tools are needed. 

The third step of the supply chain is the coffee rosters and retail stores. For places like Café  Britt, they sell their products in hotels, airports, and grocery stores. Café Britt and Hacienda Doka source their coffee beans to be sold in these places directly from their plantations. Café Britt purchased Doka and their processing mill to control a more significant portion of the supply chain as they expand. They have many different brands, such as Britt Coffee Tour, Britt Espresso, Britt Iced, Britt Café, and Bakery, and these brands have unique products for each destination. Café  Britt is very focused on sourcing workers who are consumer-focused. We saw this during our tour because our tour guides were actors and they were very entertaining. Both Britt and Doka source their retail workers mainly from Costa Rica. A place like the Britt also encourages the growth and promotion of their workers. The workers start in the shops and then can move up to management positions. Learning about these companies’ sourcing of technology and workers for the retail stores has helped me understand the vigor of the farm workers who are not in management positions. As I only interact with coffee retail workers, getting to see the process of the coffee pickers and roasters helps me see how intense their jobs are. The retail jobs are far less intense. I have a new respect for the coffee pickers working outside in the heat with a small profit for a large amount of work.  

The final step of the supply chain is how companies source their customers. The customers are mainly sourced from tourists who tour the plantations, foreign customers, and Costa Ricans. Tourism is a significant factor in how these plantations make a profit. As I said, places like Café Britt bring in customers with humorous and entertaining tours. Having an engaging tour with other surprises, such as the free samples, leaves the customers wanting to buy the product and tell their friends and family about their fantastic experience. All the tours we went on gave us free samples of chocolates, pineapple, strawberries, and coffee, which made them much more enjoyable. The tour always ends with a trip to the gift shop with deals such as buy three get one or buy 12 get four free. This helps customers who want to buy a lot of coffee or chocolate save money. And with these deals, they will be tempted to buy more products. Some of the tours, such as the strawberry and coffee tours, were interactive. We could pick the strawberries and flip the drying beans with a rake. The foreign customers make up most of the plantation’s customers. These farms offer free shipping and appealing packaging to encourage customers to purchase their products. Although foreigners make up most of the customers, Costa Ricans also make up a small portion. Costa Ricans do not buy from these farms as often because of the price and the fact they can get it for cheaper at their local market. This being said, some farms offer lower-quality products for a lower price. After looking at the different customers of these plantations, I now understand how important tourism is to the farms. With the plantations we visited being considered gourmet, I now understand why foreigners would spend more money on these coffee grounds or beans. My parents already knew the coffee here would be far superior, and now I understand why. 

I have learned a lot about Costa Rica, its culture, people, plantations, and environment. This trip has impacted my life and how I see the world. I cannot even say how happy I am to have met this amazing group of people I barely knew and now can call my friends. We crammed so many activities into two weeks to see every aspect of Costa Rica and experience its beauty. We lived out our beginning presentations of the culture, fun things to do, and different plantations in real life. I will miss my Mama Tica and walking around with the group daily. And with that, I say, Ciao Costa Rica!