The question remains, will carbon neutral go bananas?

President Oscar Arias has recently publicized his goal to cut Costa Rica’s net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2021. Costa Rica has already approved a plan of action that includes many different projects that have already been launched to become the first nation ever to offset all its carbon dioxide emissions. If the country can achieve his goal by 2021 Costa Rica will celebrate making environmental history as well as Costa Rica’s 200 years of independence.

Costa Rica has made sweeping efforts for such a small country to help maintain environmental education and preservation such as protecting more than one fourth of the countries lush green territory in national parks and biological reserves. Costa Rica’s conservation and replanting efforts have also coined them as the first tropical nation to successfully reverse deforestation. The forests in this popular vacation destination have already increased from 21% in 1987 to 52% today.

The small Central American country that borders both Panama and Nicaragua is also doing its part by generating most of its own power through sustainable methods. Thanks to the use of both hydroelectric and geothermal power Costa Rica has been able to produce 78% of the countries energy from water and 18% from natural geothermal energy. However, the Costa Rica government isn’t the only party involved in reforestation and environmental efforts; the Costa Rican banana export industry is also getting involved.

The banana industry has been a large part of Costa Rica’s history since 1899 when Minor Keith, a North American entrepreneur, shipped some of the organically grown peel able fruit to New Orleans. Shortly after that Keith’s Tropical Trading Transport Co. was merged with the Boston Fruit Co. forming the United Fruit Co. The Caribbean region of Puerto Limon quickly transformed its chaotic jungle into a vast expanse of banana trees by 1920. It wasn’t until 1985, after a 72 day strike, that the United Fruit Company pulled out of Costa Rica leasing their land and plantations to independent growers and farmers. It was after United Fruit Co. moved out of Costa Rican soil that Corporations such as CORBANA, the National Banana Corporation, formed.

It is corporations like CORBANA that have contributed to the conservation and reforestation of over 6,305 hectares of replanted forests. About 14.4% of that land had been used for banana plantations. Bananas have remained to be Costa Rica’s number one foreign currency earning industry up until recently when they were ousted by tourism. Bananas have still managed to remain Costa Rica’s main agricultural commodity. It is with these funds from banana producers themselves that the National Banana Corporation has been able to invest more than $1 million in two new adjoining research facilities.

The Biological Control Center and the Banana Molecular Biology Center are two new laboratories that have been created to research ways to reduce the use of chemicals in the production of bananas. CORBANA, a public entity that strongly believes in sustainable farming and long-term development, has invested in the new research facilities with the intent to lessen chemical intensive methods of pest reduction. The research will explore alternatives such as natural fungus that fights off disease and pests.

CORBANA was responsible for an exchange forum held in Costa Rica last year where scientific delegates from 14 different countries gathered. All delegates came to help look for a solution to promote both sustainable production and food security globally. With special thanks to the forum and CORBANA (the forum administrators) world wide interest has been peaked in regards to sustainable food production.

The National Banana Corporation has teamed with Plant Research International Wageningen UR and the University of Wageningen and other international associations in order to work together to achieve the same goal world wide. The team of researchers hopes to improve banana farming conditions in respect to the environment and to cut the use of pesticides in banana production in half within the next ten years. Fortunately for Costa Rica, the nation is taking environmental precautions seriously and if efforts such as those from the National Banana Corporation continue President Oscar Arias’ goal might actually become a reality.

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Filed under: Business on June 25th, 2008