Cafe Britt: Costa Rica's premier gourmet coffee

By Marlen Zenteno

Coffee for Costa Rica has always been essential for its economy since it was the main product it exported. Coffee was first introduced to Costa Rica in the late 1700s. Before Cafe Britt, all gourmet coffee was exported, and only the lower quality coffee was available to locals, but Cafe Britt wanted to change this. Today Cafe Britt is available for order worldwide, but the Company’s mission has always been to give back to its surrounding communities, and Costa Rica as a whole. 

On our second full day in Costa Rica, we had the opportunity to visit Cafe Britt for a coffee tour. The first thing I noticed when we arrived was how beautiful the estate was. Trees and plants were planted everywhere, and we later learned they all served a purpose. Some plants were planted as decoys to attract pests, while others were there to provide shade for the coffee plants, they use plants and trees instead of pesticides, which is more environmentally friendly, than using chemicals. Their approach as a company is to be as environmentally friendly as possible. This holds true when it comes to their coffee plants, which they use every part of, from the plant and stem itself to the coffee fruit as a whole. We also learned that they provide job opportunities to immigrants from places like Panama in coffee plantations. In addition, they give opportunities to local single mothers by paying them to make the bags they sell in their shops, they are able to work from home, which allows them to not only bring money home but also be able to watch their kids. Throughout the tour, not only did I enjoy tasting a lot of coffee, but also enjoyed learning about their history, as well as their efforts to give back to communities. This experience made me think a lot about the research we did before the trip where I learned that Costa Rica is known for their kind, and giving culture. I definitely got to experience this firsthand throughout the trip, and it got me thinking. “What would the U.S be like if more companies and people as a whole adopted similar values of giving back?” As an aspiring educator, I definitely will implement these values in my everyday life and career.