It is a compact investment with very high returns. Ambitious outlook
With Costa Rica’s declaration of becoming the first carbon-neutral country on the planet by the end of 2021, these grassroots organic farming experiments have become the petri dish for agriculture’s larger-scale future. Ironically, all these farming techniques have been employed by Costa Rica’s indigenous Bribri nation for at least 3,000 years. In the Talamanca region especially, the Bribris practice a subsistent agroforestry. They harvest the natural growth beneath the forest canopy while rotating their introduced vegetation within the forest. Nutrient recycling is in the form of bat guano and composting to replenish the soil, thus deterring insects and other plant predators. Embracing centuries-old practices that have kept Costa Rica such a bountiful garden may be the key to progress on several promising fronts
Above left: Costa Rican banana farmer. Photo: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com. Above right: Costa Rican postage stamp commemorating agricultural and industrial fair in Cartago, 1950. Photo: neftali / Shutterstock.com
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