I can’t believe how fast the past two weeks have flown by. This trip has been an amazing experience – whether it was the various site visits, trying all the good food, or spending time with my mama tica and getting to practice speaking Spanish with her, I enjoyed it all. In particular, I really liked the Cloud Forest Hike in Monteverde and seeing all of the incredible views and wildlife. Yesterday was our last full day of activities and it was a busy one. We started the day by visiting a strawberry farm. I think that was the most strawberries I have ever eaten in one sitting, and they were so good! We also were able to try some gooseberries, which had an interesting taste. They are relatively sweet but also have a little tartness and acidity to them.
After the strawberry tour we went to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. First, we started with seeing a lot of wildlife animals, including toucans, monkeys, parrots, and even a sloth. Then after lunch, we went over to the actual waterfalls. The views were incredible! The next stop was in Alajuela, where we walked around the mall for a little bit. From the mall, we walked over to Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, where we went to watch the Alajuela vs Heredia soccer game. Being out in the pouring rain for hours was worth it, because the atmosphere was really cool. I enjoyed getting to experience a soccer game outside of the US, especially because it was the semifinals of the Costa Rican league playoffs, so I knew the stadium was going to be energetic.
My project was all about the planning step of the supply chain. Starting with the farm, one of the most significant aspects that I noticed was how the coffee farms seemed one step ahead when it came to reusing materials. For instance, once a coffee tree is about 25 years old, production of coffee cherries starts to decline, so the old trees are burned to make fuel for the entire coffee processing system. Additionally, when coffee cherries are first processed, they are placed in water. Good coffee will sink because that indicates good density and volume. Typically, a basket of coffee cherries will have about 70% that sink, and 30% that will float. Instead of discarding the coffee cherries that float, Doka keeps them and processes them separately from the good coffee, resulting in coffee that is sold to local Costa Rican companies that will sell it for a more affordable price. In the next part of the coffee making process, the red pulp is peeled using a peeler machine, which also sorts the coffee based on size. The coffee cherries that are too small will be separated to be produced as “gas station” coffee, coffee that is relatively cheap. This shows how the farms have to plan in advance to be resourceful and not waste materials.
The next step in the supply chain is the processing mills and exporters. The most notable part of planning for this step falls under the umbrella of sustainability again. A specific example of this is from Doka, where they dry the coffee beans out in the sun, which typically takes about 4-5 days. If the beans are still not dry, they will be placed into the drying machine. Even though Doka owns a coffee bean drying machine, they choose to utilize the sunlight because it is a free natural resource and can also dry more beans at once compared to the smaller amount that can be placed into the dryer. This shows how processing mills like Doka need to plan ahead because if there is rain, they could look to start drying with the machine to ensure consistent and timely operation. If the weather proves to be sunny, they can take advantage by drying more quantities of coffee beans to accelerate the production process.
Coffee roasters and retail stores/cafes plan mostly for tours and the presentation of their company. For instance, Cafe Britt personalized their tour by having actors perform as tour guides to enact a more interactive and engaging experience, which was more of a performance compared to Doka’s tour. Doka’s was a more traditional tour experience led by a tour guide, who walked us through each step of the coffee making process with visual demonstrations. Also, both tours provided samples of coffee and chocolate which invited us as tourists to try everything and even purchase the products that we liked.
For customers, the most important aspect of the planning process is the marketing that these companies do, and how their target market segment is oftentimes tourists, since Costa Rica’s economy depends on tourism. An example of this is Cafe Britt’s wide range of products, which can be found all over the place. While there was a gift shop at the actual location, we found their products in many supermarkets and other gift shops. Additionally, Cafe Britt opened locations in airports, and started placing their coffee in hotels after an agreement with Marriott in 1998. A third way to find Cafe Britt coffee is online, as their website cafebritt.com was launched in 1996, allowing Cafe Britt to generate more revenue and reach a wider audience of customers through e-commerce. By targeting their market towards tourists, a wide audience, they can reach customers all over the world.
As I reflect on the past two weeks, I’m so grateful to have had this experience. I have had an amazing time with everyone here, and I hope to come back again some day! But for now, hasta luego, Costa Rica.
