Coffee and Water

Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind oil. And it holds cultural importance globally. It is among the top three most consumed beverages, trailing only water and tea. While many types of coffee exist, the most commonly cultivated bean is Arabica, which generally accounts for around 60-70% of global coffee production. One cup of Arabica coffee usually requires around 130 litres of water across all stages of production. The water input used to cultivate, sort, clean, and process coffee is difficult to recycle due to chemical imbalances. Naturally occurring acids and organic matter such as Quinic acid, Chlorogenic acid and Citric acid make effluents too acidic to be returned to natural waterways. They also increase biological oxygen demand, which can be harmful to aquatic life.

Coffee’s Economic and Ecological Role in Costa Rica

For Costa Rica, coffee carries a unique cultural importance and makes up about 2% of annual exports, making it a top ten export. There are about 26,000 coffee farmers in the country, with over 85% of them being on farms of less than 10 hectares. Having a high number of small-scale producers is common in Central America, and this raises challenges for obtaining specialty coffee certifications.

Costa Rica accounts for between 5 and 6% of global biodiversity while only covering about 0.03% of the planet’s surface. Large scale monoculture can pose serious threats to this biodiversity, as plantations frequently render large sections of land inaccessible to wildlife. They also support only a single crop type, which further reduces habitat diversity. Thus, having a larger proportion of farms in the hands of small-scale cultivators can be seen as a benefit for the biosphere in the country. Smaller farms can better protect ecological buffer zones and biological corridors.

Potential for Contamination

Effluent water from coffee production operations can have serious environmental impacts if improperly managed. Runoff from irrigation systems can contain hazardous amounts of nitrogen, even when using organic fertilisers, and can cause eutrophication. An example of this from Costa Rica is when water contamination from fungicide use in Cipreses was so widespread that drinking water had to be trucked in for the community. In fact, despite being considered one of the planet’s most fertile countries, Costa Rica uses the third largest amount of pesticides per unit area.

Options for Water Conservation

A route by which producers seek to mitigate the impact of their water use on the local environment is by using low-flow technologies for crop irrigation. Possible solutions include drip irrigation and micro basins, popular methods for reducing overwatering and runoff that have been embraced by some Costa Rican farmers. Such irrigation techniques involve higher initial costs and more maintenance. In return, they often greatly reduce water input requirements and labour hours. Another method by which water strain can be reduced is by harvesting rainwater. This has become common throughout the country both for agriculture and, in some cases, at a domestic level. These efforts are particularly relevant given ongoing water scarcity. During the summer of 2024, even residents of the country’s capital, San José had access to water only during scheduled hours due to national drought conditions.

Specialty Coffee Certifications and Their Role in Sustainability

Many farmers seek specialty coffee certifications, such as from the Rainforest Alliance, Bird Friendly, and Fair Trade, as proof of environmentally-conscious cultivation practices. As part of this process, land owners pay an inspection fee, and the certifying organisations send an evaluator to examine the farm. It must meet a set of certification requirements that vary based on farm size and the number of farms in a participating group. For example, Rainforest Alliance has an agricultural standard with chapters related to management, traceability, income, farming, social impact, and the environment. One environmental critique of these certifications is their lack of attention to water. Despite being a pivotal resource in coffee production, it receives little to no effective attention in certification requirements.

Strong Environmental Regulation

A strength that the Costa Rican culture presents for protecting water and the environment in agriculture is a national history of progressive environmental regulation. Its National Climate Change Adaptation Policy outlines plans for how agriculture can protect natural corridors and promote local water security. Costa Rica has had explicit laws protecting biodiversity since 1998, and its forest policy has created a famous case of environmental recuperation after strict logging restriction. Government oversight has helped spur much of the environmental protection seen in the country, but would likely have been less effective without active participation from farmers. The 1997 Payment for Environmental Services programme, for example, uses money from a 3.5% tax on hydrocarbon fuels to financially support landowners actively protecting forest growth.

Pura Vida

Costa Rica promotes the pura vida, meaning “pure life,”, the mentality of a healthy relationship with nature. Protecting the planet while cultivating coffee is a conscious decision and introduces trade-offs. Many farms implement water-saving measures that exceed certification requirements, prioritising water quality throughout the coffee production process and thereafter. Additionally, many small-scale Costa Rican farmers have collaborated with each other to receive group specialty certifications that ensure attention to the environment during production. Despite ongoing challenges of pesticide overuse and nutrient pollution, Costa Rica has made a name for itself in sustainable coffee. And the Costa Rican government is actively involved in planet-positive governance. The country’s practices offer insights into the environmental complexity of coffee production and highlight the importance of water management in sustainable agriculture.