A Brief Introduction

Coffee: it’s the second most valuable trade commodity in the world, surpassed only by oil. Coffee exports alone are a nearly 20 billion dollar industry per year, with coffee sales worldwide valued at over $100 billion. There are some 70 coffee-producing countries in the world, 39 of which account for over 97% of the world’s total production. Coincidentally, according to the World Wildlife Fund, of the 50 countries with the highest deforestation rates in the early to mid 1990s, 37 of them also belong to this group of 39 high production countries. Over 90% of the world’s coffee production takes place in developing countries, accounting for anywhere from 2 to nearly 60% of these countries’ total GDP. The overall demand for coffee has been steadily rising, and it’s becoming clearer every day how important it is to reflect on the practices of these countries that grow and process so much of the world’s coffee. Fortunately, we recently had the opportunity to take an inside look at a few of the many sustainable farms in Costa Rica, and thanks to Oldemar, we were able to see just how much work goes into making a farm 100% certified organic.

•  Source: http://www.ico.org/trade_e.asp
• Photo credit: Rob Kanter