Banana Farms of Costa Rica and Ecuador exchange knowledge
Banana Farms in Costa Rica and Ecuador exchange knowledge on sustainable banana production
El Guabo (Ecuador), October 13, 2017. As part of the project: “Sustainable banana – Strengthening sustainable practices in banana plantations in Costa Rica and Ecuador”, on October 12 and 13, the first workshop was held with producers from Costa Rica and Ecuador, with the objective of presenting, selecting and verifying environmental and social measures to implement them in the selected farms.
The project is implemented by the develoPPP initiative, which supports Public-Private Partnerships (APP), commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German private company Cobana, it is supported by the Alliance Development Program Mesoamerican for Biodiversity (DABio) of the German Cooperation Agency GIZ.
Banana production is one of the main economic activities in Costa Rica and Ecuador and thousands of families depend directly and indirectly on this industry. This project seeks to produce a differentiated sustainable banana that goes beyond the standards required by international certifications and place them in the German market, aimed at an environmentally and socially responsible consumer.
The project works with producers who not only comply with what is required by legislation or rigorous international standards, but who continually seek to carry out actions in favor of improving the conditions of their workers and the health of the ecosystems where they are found. Examples of this include actions in the conservation of forests to protect biodiversity, the use of solar energy and the absence of nematicides and herbicides, among other actions.
“This opportunity to exchange with producers seeks to establish the bases for the production of a Premium Banana by reviewing a catalog of environmental and social measures identified in the farms that are part of the project. As part of the project’s objectives, it seeks to recognize and support private companies in the banana sector that promote sustainable practices in the pursuit of protecting their natural capital ”, commented Svenja Paulino, Director of the DABio Program at GIZ.
The farms and ranches participating in this event were: Platanera Río Sixaola (PRS), a member of the Biodiversity Partnership Mesoamerica (BPM), and Finca Santa Fe, both from Costa Rica. On behalf of Ecuador, the Finca Primavera, La Nueva Pubenza, La Nueva Esperanza, Hacienda Tomatal, and the Finca Daniella Antonella 2 participated. In addition, the trading company Compañía Exportadora del Sur and the companies Equilibratum and Agrorum specialized in environmental services and laboratory analysis accompanied for bananas.
For more information contact Ernesto Steinvorth, Technical Advisor of the DABio program, ernesto.steinvorth@giz.de.
Mariela Solís Chaves
Communication Advisor
Development Program of the Mesoamerican Alliance for Biodiversity
GIZ Agency San José, Costa Rica