The role of coffee in Costa Rica has changed dramatically. Fifty years ago coffee was so recognized that tearing out a coffee field would have devastated the country. According to Culture Shock when coffee prices rose after WW II, dozens of counties rushed to plant coffee, the worlds second biggest dollar commodity after oil. Soon supply was greater than demand and price fell dramatically, which they never really have recovered.
Now, many farmers say that the cost of producing coffee is more than what they earn from it. Hundreds of fields have been ripped out. Today, coffee only covers 2% of the land and what used to be rich coffee land is now cemented over because of the rapid population growth. This large cemented area is where I live half of the time, San Jose.
Some other former coffee fields have been planted over with higher earning ornamental plants and ferns. This diversifies the economy.
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