Throughout this trip, my understanding of sustainability and agriculture expanded far beyond what I previously associated with those topics. Before coming to Costa Rica, I often thought about sustainability mostly in terms of environmental protection or marketing, but this experience showed me how deeply it can become integrated into a company’s culture, values, and long-term decision-making. Across the many site visits, I noticed that sustainability in Costa Rica often felt genuine and intentional rather than performative. The country’s “Pura Vida” mindset also helped me better understand how environmental responsibility, well-being, and quality of life can all become interconnected within both business and daily life.
The company that impacted me the most throughout this trip was Sibö Chocolate. What stood out most to me was how authentic and passionate Julio Fernández was about every aspect of the company. Rather than simply maximizing efficiency or production scale, Sibö intentionally prioritizes craftsmanship, quality, environmental responsibility, and preserving Costa Rican chocolate culture. Julio explained how the company pays significantly more for higher-quality cacao because they believe quality and sourcing matter more than simply producing as much chocolate as possible. Hearing him discuss sustainability felt very different from how many companies present it as a branding strategy. At Sibö, sustainability appeared deeply integrated into the company’s identity and long-term mission.
One of the most memorable sustainability practices we learned about at Sibö involved repurposing cacao husks into biodegradable packaging materials. What impressed me most was Julio’s perspective that other companies copying the idea was ultimately a positive outcome because it improved sustainability standards across the Costa Rican chocolate industry as a whole. That mindset really changed how I think about business competition and responsibility. Julio also explained that companies often must intentionally choose whether they want to prioritize quantity or quality, and that lesson will likely stay with me long after this trip. Beyond the business lessons, Sibö was also one of my favorite personal experiences from the trip. Their chile powder chocolate bonbon was probably my favorite bite of food during the entire program, and as someone who loves dark chocolate, I was especially excited by their “99%” chocolate and pure hot cocoa mix that I had been searching for for years.
Our visit to Riverside Pizzeria and Gastropub also expanded my understanding of sustainability in a completely different way. I thought it was incredibly interesting how the restaurant repurposed materials from the old building that had previously burned down, including parts of the original dance floor. Instead of simply rebuilding from scratch, they found ways to reuse and preserve pieces of the original structure while creating something new. I also appreciated how much of their food is grown directly on the property through their farm-to-table model. Seeing their composting systems and learning that they produce a large percentage of their ingredients onsite demonstrated how sustainability can become physically integrated into a business’s operations rather than existing separately from them.
The pineapple farm experience also had a major impact on me. Pineapple has been one of my favorite fruits since I was a kid, and the pineapple we tasted there was genuinely the best I have ever had. Being able to eat the pineapple “umbrella” while standing directly on the farm was one of my favorite small moments from the trip. Beyond the taste itself, I found it fascinating learning about the nutrient-dense volcanic soil in Costa Rica and how important healthy soil is to long-term agricultural sustainability. Comparing Costa Rica’s soil to places like Hawaii, where overproduction and monocropping have heavily damaged soil quality over time, helped me better understand the long-term environmental consequences that agricultural businesses must consider.
Another important experience was visiting Dos Pinos and learning about the cooperative business model. Before this trip, I had never fully understood how cooperatives function on such a large scale. Learning how farmers work together by pooling resources, sharing risk, and supporting one another gave me a broader perspective on sustainability beyond just environmental practices. It showed me how sustainability can also involve supporting local communities and creating long-term economic stability for producers. I thought it was interesting how Dos Pinos balanced operating at a large scale while still maintaining a structure centered around collective benefit and shared responsibility.
Overall, this trip significantly changed the way I think about sustainability, agriculture, and business as a whole. More than anything, Costa Rica showed me that sustainability is often most impactful when it becomes genuinely integrated into a company’s culture, values, and decision-making rather than simply being used as a marketing tool. The experiences that impacted me most were the ones where companies remained committed to authenticity, craftsmanship, environmental responsibility, and community even when doing so required sacrificing some efficiency or scale. Moving forward, I believe the lessons I learned in Costa Rica will influence how I approach both business and life by reminding me to think more intentionally about quality, sustainability, and long-term impact.
