Costa Rican Coffee: 200 Years of Excellence
The end of the 18th century marks the path of excellence and success in the cultivation of coffee in Costa Rica. It is believed that in 1791, two pounds (1 kg) of the Typica variety of the Coffea Arabica species from plantations on the Caribbean island of Martinique, arrived on board the ship Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles from the neighboring country of Panama.
Costa Rica, at that time the least developed province in Central America, was dedicated to subsistence agriculture. It took decades before coffee became an export product. The pivotal year for this small country (31,752 sq miles) was 1808. It was then that under the mandate of Governor Tomás Acosta, the cultivation of coffee began to solidify and expand.
Government agencies, celebrities, and wealthy families were the early architects of the coffee industry; one which makes us “Ticos” (colloquial name synonymous with Costa Rican) proud.
In 1821 after Costa Rica’s Independence, the government took a series of measures to encourage coffee activity. Among these, the free distribution of seedlings among the residents of San José (today the capital of the country), the exoneration of the payment of the tithe (1825), and a decree that people who cultivated vacant lots for more than five years could claim them as their property.
The leaders of Costa Rica saw in the cultivation of coffee a way out of ruin and reigning misery. Thus, in 1845, the first export of coffee was made to London, England through William Le Lacheur, Captain of the Monarch ship. It is estimated that the export was 558,277 lbs. (5,505 quintals) at $0.0001 per lb. (~ $72 today).
To get a sense of the impact of the first coffee export: in 1838, there were 852 acres cultivated with coffee; by 1857, the cultivated area had grown to 10,378 acres. Exports to the United States of America began in 1860 and since then represent approx. 25% of the total amount exported by Costa Rica
For 50 years (1840-1890), coffee was the only export product of this Central American country.
From this success, a flourishing period begins for Costa Rica and coffee becomes the fundamental basis for its economic, social, and cultural development. For this reason, in coffee jargon and around the country, coffee is known as "the golden grain”. Today, it is considered one of the best in the world.
Since 1968, coffee has generated about 30% of total export earnings. The coffee industry currently benefits 38,804 coffee-producing families in 8 regions of the country, totaling 231,530 acres or 1.8% of the national territory.
Source: Canet Brenes, Guillermo. “Evolución De La Caficultura Costarricense y Situación Actual De La Actividad. .” IX Congreso Nacional Agropecuario y De Recursos Naturales, 19 Oct. 1993.