Sourcing, my team’s topic throughout the trip, is very important for farms to consider. I learned about how raw materials, labor, technology, and water are all essential factors in the tropical agricultural sector. When considering all that I have found goes into growing coffee, cacao, strawberries, bananas, and pineapple, my relationship with these foods has…
Tag: John Hamilton
The San Jose Experience
There are most certainly influences from the coffee and banana trade seen in San Jose. Through some research, I found that the area used to be heavily controlled by coffee plantation oligarchies, who financed the creation of the National Theater. Agricultural products like coffee and bananas supported the region for decades before its development into…
Plantations, Plantains, and Pineapples
In terms of complexity and reach, the supply chains of banana and pineapple are quite different to that of coffee. The fruits are simply grown and then sold, other than in the case of flour that is made for banana bread or banana chocolate chip cookies. On the other hand, coffee beans must be picked,…
Chocolate at Sibo
Coffee and chocolate are certainly related products in the Costa Rican economy. They both have businesses and growers that are extremely sustainability-focused. The producers recognize that the health of their country and their livelihoods stems from maintaining the natural beauty of the country because that is what drives tourism- the lifeblood of the Tico economy….
Service and Sustainability
The lifestyle of a Tico farmer is difficult. Regardless of heat and weather conditions, the workers are out picking coffee. I learned the pay at Life Monteverde depends on the time of year. Before and after the peak picking season, workers are paid by the hour. During the peak, the Tico farmers are paid 2…
Sustainability in the Cloud Forest
In the cloud forest reserve in Monteverde, we witnessed the competing interests of productivity, conservation, and sustainability. Evelyn Herrera from the Monteverde Institute provided interesting detail into the different approaches each group takes as they look out for their interests in the region. Today there is minimal agriculture in the region, but it does still…
Arrival in Monteverde
A lot stood out to me on the bus ride from Heridia to Monteverde, and it wasn’t just the scenery. The surroundings definitely became more rural, and the population density decreased as we went into the mountains. There were mainly small houses, and I saw a lot of garbage around the homes and by the…
Cafe Britt: Coffee Roasting and Marketing
The trip to Cafe Britt showed me different aspects of the Costa Rican coffee business than Doka did. While Doka was mostly focused on production, sourcing, and growing, Cafe Britt specialized in the roasting, manufacturing, and marketing of coffee. At Doka, we learned about the life cycle of the plant and spent more time discussing…
Day at Doka
I thought the coffee process today was very interesting. It was far more in-depth than I expected. I also was surprised about just how low the pay was for the workers. Most of the workers are seasonal labor migrants from Nicaragua. They make an equivalent of 2-5 dollars per basket of red coffee beans they…
Hiking Heridia
My first impression of Costa Rica is extremely positive. I really enjoyed exploring Heridia and love my host mom. Communicating with her can be difficult sometimes, as I know virtually no Spanish, but her English is very good. The trip has already exceeded my expectations. Heridia is such an interesting place due to the town…
Looking Forward to Costa Rica
With my limited perception of the country’s policies, I believe that the Costa Rican approach to sustainability is very impressive. The Costa Ricans involve the government, scientists, citizens, and private companies to tackle environmental issues, which is why their approach is so effective. They believe that decarbonizing their economy and fighting climate change make both…