The Costa Rican Coffee Institute (Instituto del Café de Costa Rica - ICAFE) is an organization created by law to protect the interests of the country's coffee-producing sector and to insure that it receives fair treatment.

ICAFE's history goes back to the Coffee Protection Institute (Instituto de Defensa del Café), created in 1933 to guide the State's efforts to secure the harmonious and balanced development of the sectors involved in coffee production. The Institute worked to guarantee that everyone concerned benefited from the coffee trade.

In 1948, the Coffee Protection Institute became the Coffee Bureau (Oficina del Café), a semi-autonomous agency reporting to the Ministry for Economic Affairs. The Coffee Bureau was assigned responsibility for regulating and monitoring the Costa Rican coffee industry.

In 1985, with the coffee sector expanding and the international market becoming increasingly complex, the Coffee Bureau was replaced by the Costa Rican Coffee Instituto del Café de Costa Rica - ICAFE). This was done in order to create the legal and administrative tools necessary for regulating relations between coffee producers, processors, exporters and roasters.

Finally, in 1997, ICAFE became a non-state public agency, with legal standing and assets of its own. This enabled it to sign contracts and make decisions on its own, in accordance with the powers conferred on it by law.

Its main duties remain unchanged, and it is constantly strengthening its support for the development of the coffee sector.