Over the past two weeks, I have learned a lot about the supply chain for coffee in Costa Rica. Moreover, I have learned how my group’s topic —make— relates to the different stages of the supply chain. These steps involve the farm, processing mill and exporters, coffee roasters and retail locations, as well as the…

During our adventures today, we had our final plantation visit. We went to the Dota plantation, and I really enjoyed being there since we learned about a new, interesting way for a coffee company to be setup.  While the other plantations we visited were traditional companies, Dora was a cooperative. The main difference between the…

Today my Plus3 group visited a banana plantation as well as a pineapple plantation. While visiting these locations, I was interested in the similarities and differences between the supply chains for bananas, pineapples, and coffee. To start, is is clear that the supply chain for coffee is far more complicated than the same process for…

Today, my Plus3 group explored a nearby rainforest in Arenal, and we had a lecture on Ecotourism. These activies taught me a lot about the local nature as well as the importance of ecofriendly tourism. There are many similarities are differences between the cloud forest of Monteverde and the rainforest of Arenal. A rainforest is a tropical forest…

Since we visited Life Monteverde today, we learned about the lifestyle of a Tico farmer. Furthermore, Life Monteverde is a sustainable farming organization which aims to have a low impact on the Earth. They have many partners in local and international communities, and they make sure to support these communities in return. This leads into…

This morning, I woke up very early in order to visit the cloud forest reserve. My group spent about 3 hours there exploring the forest and learning about different plant and animals. Another notable thing we discussed was the importance of that reserve within Monteverde as well as within the world. We furthered discussed this…

This morning, we left the city atmosphere of Heredia for rural Monteverde. During our 3 hour bus ride from Heredia to Monteverde, I spent a lot of time observing the changing scenery. The two distinct ecosystems that we saw were Puntarenas (the Pacific Coast and nearby beach) and Monteverde (mountain rainforest). Towards the start of…

This morning, my group went to visit Cafe Britt. This coffee company is known for its creativity and innovation within the coffee industry. Furthermore, it was suprising to me when I first discovered that, while their coffee is loved by tourists, most Ticos do not drink it. I believe that this is due to the…

Today, during the Costa Rica Plus3 program, my group visited Doka Estate. This plantation has been in Costa Rica for over 100 years. The organization mainly grows coffee beans which will be exported to the United States; this accounts for 75% of their coffee supply. Companies such as McDonalds could then purchase this coffee and…

¡Hola! I am so excited to leave for Costa Rica this coming Saturday, and I continue to grow more eager for the trip due to learning more about the spectacular country. It is notable that Costa Rica is considered a pioneer in the protection of nature. Nearly 50 years ago, the country started to carry…