My group was tasked with analyzing the making process of each product we’ve analyzed. At the farm level, making begins with the crops that are being grown and managed. Farmers do not just harvest the crops, instead they carefully tend the crop to control the quality of coffee, bananas, and pineapples through practices like selective picking, crop rotation, and a number of other techniques. Hearing from each farm allowed me to realize how much dedication and diligence is involved before the crop even leaves the field. Processing centers make the raw materials become refined products and determine the product’s final quality. Watching coffee cherries turn into green beans or cacao beans get fermented made it clear how much precision and care goes into this stage. The making process continues through roasting, packaging, and presentation. I was surprised by how much history, skill, and technique that goes into roasting coffee or tempering chocolate to bring out flavor. Even in the final stages, baristas and store owners play a role in shaping the final customer experience. As a customer, my choices influence how these products are grown, processed, and sold. Paying more attention to how things are made and who’s behind them, will change and influence how I shop and consume but also which businesses will succeed.  

This trip overall has taught me so much about the supply chain and sustainability process of different industries and companies in Costa Rica. I now know the work and dedication that goes into every sip of coffee I drink to every piece of fruit I eat. Costa Rica has also helped me realize why it is so important to practice sustainable habits; to allow future generations to enjoy everything the planet has to offer. Therefore, we must do everything in our power to protect everything from the tiny microorganisms that enrich the soil in every crop we consume all the way to protecting entire ecosystems like the Cloud Forest that is home to many endangered and unique species. I plan to apply what I’ve learned by making more conscious and sustainable purchasing decisions. I believe that supporting environmentally responsible businesses can help influence larger corporations to adopt similar practices. This is especially important because the future of our planet depends on how we choose to spend our money.