Costa Rican Coffee: Consumption and Production

August 22, 2018 | Pulitzer Center

Samira Tella

A coffee farmer in Coto Brus displays his dried coffee beans ready to be processed and sold. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

In a San Jose coffee shop, Costa Rican speciality coffee is transformed into well-known drinks. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

Juan García Ramirez explains common methods to prepare coffee. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

Roasted beans give off a unique aroma. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

Costa Rica has a number of coffee growing regions, each unique. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

The coffee farm is a key source of speciality coffee. The size of the farm and the quantity of coffee produced influence the farmers' relationship with farmworkers. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

The fields of red ripening fruit indicate the start of the migration season for the Ngäbe-Buglé. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

Ngäbe-Buglé families, such as that of Naida and her children, have the potential to benefit from a more conscious coffee production and consumption. Image by Samira Tella. Costa Rica, 2018.

In the coffee-growing region of Coto Brus, the Ngäbe-Buglé migrate seasonally in order to complete the harvest. Families often travel on a long journey from Panama to Costa Rica in groups, bringing children to often unsafe living conditions with limited care once they arrive. Casas de Alegria in southern Costa Rica was created to address the needs of these migrant children on the coffee farms.

Coffee consumers eager to maintain their morning ritual are often detached from the reality of those who work in the coffee industry, and have little awareness of the individuals involved in making their cup of coffee. However, Casas de Alegria is working to involve the consumer in addressing the needs of Ngäbe-Buglé migrant children by promoting a link between the worker, the farmer, and the consumer.