Costa Rica’s emphasis on sustainable initiatives resonates with me as both impressive and progressive. When researching this, I was interested to find out the history behind why Costa Rica was able to become such a strong leader in sustainability. I learned that the 1980s economic crisis led to the largest source of income in Costa Rica becoming sustainable tourism. I also learned that 23% of land in Costa Rica is protected land, which has allowed Costa Rica–despite being a relatively small country–to now hold 5% of the world’s biodiversity. In addition, as of 2016, 98% of electricity in Costa Rica was derived from renewable energy sources.
I am impressed by the incentive system set up in Costa Rica to motivate businesses to act sustainably, as it seems as though it has been a very successful way to make the right steps towards a more sustainable future. In particular, I am intrigued by the Certification for Sustainable Tourism, which rates the sustainability of businesses’ practices on a numerical scale. These ratings are made publicly available, thus allowing consumers to make informed decisions about where to spend their money. I think that this is a great way to incentivize businesses to act sustainably while simultaneously informing the public about environmental issues. I also like the non-intrusive nature of this initiative; I like how no one is forcing consumers to spend their money a certain way, however, consumers are likely more inclined to spend their money at businesses that have a higher numerical sustainability score.
Furthering my research into sustainable initiatives particular to the coffee industry, I was able to find the sustainable initiatives of various coffee brands in Costa Rica. One of these brands is Café Corazón. Café Corazón uses several different tactics to ensure sustainable growing practices. These include the use of organic compost as well as the use of recycled water separation systems throughout the coffee bean growing process. In addition, this brand uses the sun as a means of naturally drying the coffee.
Overall, I am excited to go to Costa Rica as it will provide me with a hands-on, experiential learning experience unlike one that I would get inside of any traditional classroom environment. I am also interested in learning more about the intersection of business and social impact, which I will definitely get out of learning more about sustainability as it relates to global supply chains. I am also passionate about the topics being explored; as someone who really likes coffee, I can’t wait to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of how exactly the cup of coffee that I drink made its way to me, down to the very start of how the beans were grown.