Strawberry Sad to Leave Costa Rica 🍓😢

Over the past two weeks we have seen how industry, culture, and the environment shape Costa Rica’s tropical agriculture trade. We had the opportunity to visit various plantations that produce some of Costa Rica’s most respected foods, like coffee, chocolate, bananas, pineapples, and strawberries. These visits have served as the most educational experiences when it comes to understanding how supply chain management works on a first-hand basis. With each company tour and educational session, I have learned what the making process is like for each product, as well as how each step within the production process of that product affects the following steps in the process, and the outcome of the product as a whole.

Box full of freshly picked strawberries!

To start off the supply chain, we have farming. Although I was familiar with the concept of growing fruits such as bananas, strawberries, and pineapples, I was not at all familiar with the coffee and chocolate production. Visiting Hacienda Doka helped me visually grasp each step of the coffee making process, from the red cherry to the roasted bean, and I am really grateful for that experience! I also enjoyed how they not only educated us on the coffee-making procedure, but also informed us on the importance of practicing sustainable methods and utilizing all of their resources to help their workers, improve their company, and give back to their community. Sibö Chocolates was another great, informational experience for me. Our educator did an amazing job at teaching us the origins of chocolate, as well as helping us understand how the different kinds of chocolate came to be. He sliced open a cacao bean to give us a visual understanding of how the beans are grown and how these beans later turn into what we know as chocolate! It was also here that I learned that white chocolate, in fact, does not contain any chocolate (shocker I know).

The next step of the supply chain procedure is processing mills and exporters. Hacienda Doka showed us exactly how they use natural resources to work through the coffee making process, and showed us the mills in which they wash and dry their coffee cherries after they are picked. The manager of the company also explained to us how Doka exports their coffee beans to local markets, external suppliers, and to many countries around the world.

Doka’s Drying Machine for Coffee Cherries

The third step of the supply chain procedure is roasters and retail stores/cafes. Hacienda Doka is a perfect example to use to display this step of the supply chain procedure because they are now owned by Café Britt, a famous Costa Rican coffee roaster company. Because of this connection, Costa Ricans have easier access to coffee beans from Doka. Since Café Britt is available in almost every shop, restaurant/café, and tourist site in Costa Rica, this collaboration is a great opportunity for Hacienda Doka!

The last step of the supply chain producer is customers! As tourists wandering the streets of Costa Rica for two weeks, we were able to witness how recognized a company Café Britt truly is! From local shops in Heredia to our hotel rooms in Monteverde, Café Britt was always present! Café Britt, as well as any company in any market, could not sustain its power without its consumers, and that is something we were also able to learn about during our time here. The educator at Café Britt emphasized how they push marketing efforts in order to keep consumers attracted and encouraged to purchase their products. Because Costa Rica is such a small country, competing against large countries like Africa and Brazil as they produce coffee, they prioritize quality over quantity, and that I believe truly sets them apart and leads them towards success.

I have enjoyed my stay here in Costa Rica so much, it genuinely makes me sad to leave. I have learned so much about this beautiful country, its culture, and its production processes more than I could’ve ever imagined, and for that I am eternally grateful. I hope that I have been able to assist and entertain you all with my daily blogs, and I sincerely hope you consider studying abroad here at Pitt. It truly is an unforgettable experience!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this week!