Coffee cultivation is thought to have originated in Ethiopia in the 14th century, but nowadays it is all about the tropics. In approximately the year 1720 coffee was introduced to America, when the first seeds of Coffea arabica came to the Antilles. At the end of the same century, these seeds reached Costa Rica, making it the first Central American country to establish a flourishing coffee cultivation industry. The production and processing of coffee until reaching its final stage consists of various stages.
Click on the following interactive graphic to learn more about the process.
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De-pulping
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Washing
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De-hulling
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Drying
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Packing
De-pulping
Once picked, the cherries need to be processed to separate the flesh from the coffee bean, for example by passing them through de-pulping machines: A machines pressed the fruit in water through a screen to remove the skin of the cherry and some of the pulp. The bean will still have a significant amount of the pulp clinging to it that needs to be removed.
Washing
To get rid of any residue from the previous process, the coffee beans are washed with moderate amounts of water. There are a variety of methods for washing, which can be divided into manual and mechanical methods. Some mills use a fermentation process to remove residues that remain in which the beans´ own enzymes and microorganisms act together and the fermentation of the mucilage takes place through the decomposition of its cellulose.
Drying
After the pulp has been removed the coffee bean is still surrounded by a thin husk. To remove this, the bean must be dried. Small and micro mills usually do this in the sun by spreading beans in large yards, where they are frequently raked to promote even drying and prevent mold. Large mills use dryers for higher volumes of coffee.
De-hulling
The remaining husk that surrounds the coffee bean is removed by a machine called peeler, which removes it by subjecting the bean to frictional forces.
Sorting and storing
Most fine coffees are sorted by machines by bean size and density, at the same time eliminating any remaining rubbish (eg. small stones). Subsequently, they are classified by hand by color, separating the defective grains from the others. The classified grains are placed in sacks of 60 to 70 kg and stored until later use.
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Planting and fertilizing
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Harvest
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Tree pruning
Planting and fertilizing
Coffee seedlings are grown in nurseries and planted between six and 12 months on coffee farms. It takes about three years for a coffee plant to begin to bear fruit in commercially viable quantities. In Costa Rica, coffee is grown in fertile soils of organic origin and low acidity, offering ideal conditions for its production.
When planting coffee it is necessary to perform a series of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to obtain a good harvest. The majority of producers in Costa Rica make amendments and three fertilized ones in the year, with high content of nutrients to support the growth of the plant. Ethical producers use physical, chemical as well as organic fertilizers. Another common GAP that is carried out in the country is to plant other trees in the coffee plantation, in order to incorporate more organic matter into the soil.
Harvest
The most important phase of the coffee harvest is in the months of November to February, in which the red and ripe coffee cherries are collected by hand. They are then classified by their ripeness before processing.
In Costa Rica, coffee is usually processed in mills or coffee cooperatives, differentiating the country from the world, as there are facilities with the sole purpose of processing harvested coffee. For this the producers must transport the cherries to the benefit on the same day of the collection to avoid their deterioration.
Tree pruning
After a number of harvests, coffee plants are in need of pruning to maintain their productivity. Pruning can be done in three different ways:
- Selectively: individual plants that show a decrease in productivity are pruned.
- Systematically: Following a strict order, every 3, 4, 5 rows the complete row is pruned. The systematic pruning takes place in cycles over a different amount of years.
- Completely: The entire plantation is pruned, ignoring its size and the current state of individual coffee plants.
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Transport
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Consumption
Transport
Costa Rica exports 90% of its national coffee production, which represents 15% of the country's total exports. The coffee exported from Costa Rica goes mainly to the United States (51%), Eastern Europe (32%) and the rest to emerging markets such as Japan and Australia. The transport is done in containers by boat to the ports of the countries mentioned above.
Consumption
According to recent studies, Europeans drink the most coffee: In 2014, the Dutch consumed the most, drinking an average of 2,14 cups of coffee daily, followed closely by Finland (1,84). Sweden, Denmark and Germany are next on the list, consuming about one and a half cups per day. Among the 40 countries that consume the most coffee, 28 are located in Europe, showcasing the importance of the continent as a future market.
To provide an additional value and stand out among the great variety of coffee blends and brands, coffee companies have started experimenting with different coffee beans and elaborating gourmet coffee blends. Studies have also shown that particularly the millennial consumer will be key to the future of coffee consumption, seeking a memorable experience rather than simple socialization. This challenges the coffee industry not only in Costa Rica, but around the world: In the future, unique selling points such as region-based fine coffee blends as well as an international seal for sustainable coffee will be important to consumers and, thus, coffee producers in the world.
The Coffee NAMA and NAMA Support Project aim to support Costa Rican coffee producers to access these markets and position themselves in them with a competitive high-quality coffee.
