Costa Rica is the only country in the world where it is actually illegal to produce any type of coffee other than 100% Arabica—the highest quality of coffee beans. A law was passed in 1989 prohibiting the planting of low-quality beans. Heavy rainfall and high altitudes in this areas create ideal farmland for some of the finest coffee beans. Over 70 percent of the coffee is grown in the mountainous regions, which have highly varied altitudes. All of these factors affect the aroma, body, flavor, and acidity of the coffee produced. The soil is enriched by volcanic ash, which oxygenates the beans, giving them richer flavors.

Specifically from the southern half of Costa Rica. Here a group of about 100 producers with just a few acres of land are dedicated to organically cultivate coffee along with beans and corn. They have pulled their resources to form a cooperative called Cooperativa Agroindustrial y de Servicios Múltiples de San Antonio, Pérez Zeledón R.L. (COOPEASSA R.L.). These producers focus their attention on farm management throughout the year and then deliver their coffee cherries to the COOPEASSA R.L. mill during the harvest where traceability and quality control are second to none. The wet-mill is designed to receive cherries from many small farms and consistently process this well-balanced regional blend. Cherries are placed in a tank with water to remove the less dense and damaged beans that float. Next the cherries are depulped and pass through a demucilager that mechanically strips the mucilage from the beans. All of this is done in an environmentally friendly way with a recycling water system. The washed remaining coffee bean parchment is then placed on raised beds and the moisture is gently reduced to 11 percent and stored until it is time to prepare for export. COOPEASSA R.L. has an equally intricate model of income diversification with a profitable agriculture supply store, supermarket and roasted coffee sold throughout the country.