Learning that such a small country as Costa Rica is ranked in the top 20 globally in environmental sustainability impresses me. My initial reaction leads me to believe that Costa Rica is a progressive country that strongly emphasizes reducing the waste produced via supply chains. From my limited knowledge, I know that Costa Rica’s main exports are tropical agriculture and that those supply chains are crucial to the economy. For Costa Rica to be environmentally sustainable, it must mean that their practices don’t create much waste, use efficient resources such as water, space, and soil, and are cost-effective. On top of this, there must be strong efforts to replant and regrow the tropical plants. Since Costa Rica is highly rated for its environmental sustainability, the climate and air quality are most likely not as affected as other countries, which could also stimulate more healthy growth of its exported plants. 

Costa Rica reaches its sustainability goals by using 93% of its electricity via renewable energy resources, and around 30% of its territory is protected land. Costa Rica is also highly rated for limiting CO2 emissions and was the leading nation for cutting CO2 emissions in 2022. On top of this, Costa Rica also promotes sustainability by having national parks, rainforests, reserves, and tours of its beautiful nature. 

Costa Rica’s top agricultural resources enhance its sustainability score since they are renewable resources. These supply chains can also run on mainly renewable energy, which minimizes the waste from the economy. Furthermore, many coffee and banana plantations grow their agriculture without using chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. Instead, they now use biotechnology and agroecology to cultivate their plants differently. This method is most prevalent with coffee grown in the shade to prevent the need for chemicals. Around 8% of coffee in Costa Rica is now being grown with this method. 

I’m excited to visit Costa Rica and learn more about the supply chain of their economy. I am interested in all the engineering techniques used in their industries to make their economy run smoothly and environmentally friendly. I hope to learn how to implement these techniques and use them in future engineering projects and, hopefully, my career. This opportunity I have been given will provide me with so much insight for my future. On top of all the academic and professional development I will encounter, I also am extremely excited to visit a new country. I’ve never been outside the US and love nature, so I know I will have a great time sightseeing and experiencing what Costa Rica has to offer. I hope I learned from this trip and had a great time. See you in Costa Rica!