As the world grows more and more concerned with the impact countries and companies have on the environment, the fact that Costa Rica is looked at as a leader for sustainability makes traveling there even more exciting. It makes me interested to find out what they are doing that the United States, a country with a GDP 376 times greater than Costa Rica, is failing to implement. Quick research allowed me to find two major areas that Costa Rica has invested in to give them the edge over other countries when it comes to sustainability. One things they did was prioritize the protection of their natural rain forests.

Costa Rica realized it need to protect their forests when the area covered by forests dropped from 75% to 21% from 1940 – 1987. As a result of this the country realized that along with destroying their natural resources, they were also destroying the employment and livelihood of many of the farmers and workers who relied on the various services the forests provided to the economy. These included cleaner air and more fertile soil for farming. To prevent this from happening the Government of Costa Rica established national parks and protected areas. Since then the forests have recovered and the economy is better off and set on a more sustainable path.

Another initiative is The Bandera Azul or the Blue Flag Initiative. Simply put, this program seeks to keep the communities of Costa Rica on a path of sustainability. They organize cleanups, education programs, and reward the most environmentally conscious communities with rewards that also show visitors where to visit. There are many programs like this, but the Bandera Azul stood out to me. I am excited to go to Costa Rica and see some of their sustainability efforts firsthand. More specifically, I would like to see how the coffee and banana industries treat sustainability. Looking forward to sharing more of what I learn in the near future!

Adios,

John Boyle