Costa Rica’s sustainability efforts have launched that nation towards a much greener and eco-friendly economy. Despite Costa Rica’s small geographic size, it makes up approximately 5% of the Earth’s biodiversity, so recent sustainability initiatives have attempted to preserve the country’s unique and beautiful wildlife. While they have implemented a number of projects, a handful of very important and prominent Costa Rican sustainability policies were the establishment of national parks, as well as promoting ecotourism, and fostering organic farming.

With 25% of its landmass considered protected, Costa Rica has made great strides in preserving its natural wildlife with the establishment of a number of national parks. From the ashy cliffs of Arenal Volcano National Park, to the underwater biodiversity in Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica’s efforts to preserve its natural beauty is much more active than many other nations of similar size. In turn, the nation has been able to market its ecotourism much more through these national parks. Approximately 1 trillion colones (or 1.6 billion US dollars) are generated by Costa Rica’s national parks, which is a large contributor to the Costa Rican economy.

Additionally, Costa Rica has a large number of organic farms that double as tourist spots and lodging. Take for instance Gaia Vista, which is described as, “an eco-resort, retreat center, sustainability center, eco-village, organic farm and rainforest reserve on the southern end of the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica.” These organic farms generate large numbers of volunteers every year who are eager and willing to help in sustainability efforts.

Costa Rica is widely considered to be one of the most sustainable countries on the planet, boasting 98% land mass free of deforestation, and 3.5% tax on fossil fuels, and a nearly 500% increase in recycling rates in the mid-2010s. I am personally extremely excited to see everything Costa Rica has to offer, especially considering Monteverde is one of the most renowned locations in the country. This trip should be a great learning experience, not only in terms of experiencing a new culture, as well as learning more about supply-chain processes, but also witnessing first hand some of the most proactive sustainability efforts in the world.