On a coffee trip in Costa Rica (e-book)

When most people hear about a trip to Costa Rica, they think of exotic beaches and magical sunsets. Costa Rica, however, has a lot more to offer than what tour guides can show. It is a country that respects sustainable development not only in theory but in practice as well. It is one of the leading countries in tackling marine pollution, as well as recycling and biodiversity protection. The most impressive thing is that such a small country, of ​​about 51 thousand square kilometers (that is 2.5 times the area of the Peloponnese/Peloponnisos), is among the 20 richest countries in biodiversity all around the world. Costa Rica preserves and protects 6% of the world biodiversity.

Although the days of my visit were few, the experiences, the knowledge but, above all, the people I met gave every second a great value but also created expectations for my next visit. What is particularly impressive is the fact that the majority of young people are involved in the primary sector and help in the family business. Therefore, it is no coincidence that Costa Rica has a large number of small-scale farmers. Congratulations to all the coffee growers of Costa Rica who, despite the adverse conditions and the offensively low prices of coffee, which are, unfortunately, index-linked to the stock market, continue their effort with real love and passion. Congratulations are also due to the ICAFE Institute, which, with its research and support, contributes to the improvement of the crop and, in close cooperation with the state, tries to enrich the knowledge and upgrade the facilities of the small farmers, so that, eventually, the quality of the produced coffee gets higher and higher all the time.

We should learn from the initiatives, systems, methods of cultivation and processing of Costa Rica, but, above all, we should be inspired by its cooperative solidarity and, in general, the harmonious relationship between Humans and Nature!