Course Description
A study abroad program at UGA Costa Rica offering an introduction to the historical and cultural significance of coffee production, the allure, impact, growing conditions, quality characteristics, sensory properties, chemistry of bioactives, health aspects, and technology of the second-most widely traded commodity in the world.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will be required to prepare and deliver a
PowerPoint presentation to the class on a selected topic
pertaining to coffee technology before going on the study
abroad experience. This presentation will be graded and will
represent a third of the graduate students' final class grade.
Athena Title
Coffee Bean to Cup
Non-Traditional Format
The course will be taught at the University of Georgia's campus in San Luis de Monteverde, Costa Rica. Traditional lectures will be supplemented with presentations during tours to local coffee farms/beneficios and industrial coffee processing facilities. Required readings and other assignments will further supplement classroom instruction. The class will meet at least 4 x 1 hour sessions before traveling to Costa Rica. The total contact hours for the course will be ~35 (based on the formula of 1 credit hour per 50 min lecture and 1 credit hour per 2-hour field trip).
Undergraduate Prerequisite
(BIOL 1103 and BIOL 1103L) or (BIOL 1107 and BIOL 1107L) or (BIOL 1108 and BIOL 1108L)
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Via tours to different Costa Rican coffee operations during the harvest season and through the delivery of formal lectures, upon successful completion of this program, students should have the ability to … (1) list the basic operations/steps involved in farming coffee in Costa Rica; (2) describe the horticultural practices for growing coffee in Costa Rica; (3) identify the challenges and limitations faced by coffee farmers in raising their crop; (4) describe the impact of roasting as it relates to the generation of color and flavor in coffee; (5) recognize the desirable sensory attributes of quality coffee; (6) explain the staling of brewed coffee flavor as a consequence of storage; (7) demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of the production, processing, and distribution pattern of coffee from the Costa Rican processing plant to the consumer; (8) debate the positive and negative health consequences of coffee consumption based on recent scientific reports; and (9) appraise the sustainability of small privately-owned coffee operations in Costa Rica in the coming years.
Topical Outline
Brief history of coffees of the world Coffee horticultural practices Organic coffee production Coffee processing from cherry to green bean Coffee sustainability in Costa Rica Coffee roasting practices Desirable and undesirable flavor characteristics of coffee Sensory perception and cupping of coffee Health benefits and risks of coffee consumption Economics of coffee production and marketing