Costa Rica:
A Global Leader in Sustainability

Some history...

​In the 1940s, 75% of Costa Rica’s land was covered in forests and by 1987, roughly a half of the forests had been destroyed and converted to agricultural land since at the time, it was viewed as more productive to the economy. The country relies on agriculture since it makes up roughly 6.5% of the exports and 14% of the labor force. Popular exports of bananas, coffee, and pineapple were being farmed using large amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which began contaminating the soil, air, and waterways. Acknowledging the exploitation of the natural resources and losing forests sparked the need for sustainable agriculture to especially be a priority in Costa Rica. By the 1990s, the government created investment policies to reverse the current degrading practices and researched on the economic benefits to conserving the ecosystems. Afterwards, the government created conservation policies along the principles of: creating national parks, promoting ecotourism, implementing organic farming practices, preserving the environment, planning for a green economy, and improving society based on a green culture (organizations/institutions that prioritizes sustainability). In 1997, Costa Rica’s Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) was established which financially awarded landowners for the environmental services their land provides when they adopt sustainable land and forest use practices. The next major step towards progress was the formation of public-private alliances in 2017. The Costa Rica USA Foundation for Cooperation partnered with the Green Growth Program which focused on converting small and medium farms into green businesses, exporting their products to markets in North America, Europe, and Central America that prioritized biodiversity. In 2019, Costa Rica received the Champions of the Earth award (the highest environmental award from the United Nations) for their commitment to preserving nature and creating policies to combat climate change. Specifically, the National Climate Change Adaptation Policy from 2018 to 2030 shows that sustainable agriculture production is a top priority for the country.