Today we visited some family farms that grow many tropical fruits, such as bananas, black pepper, and sugar cane primarily for local consumption. There are multiple barriers to entry that exist for someone in Costa Rica to engage in business, tourism, and economic partnerships. For example, the bureaucracy and judicial system in Costa Rica can be slow processes which is challenging for those trying to manage a business and enforce contracts. Additionally, tourism barriers that exist are possible health impacts, safety cautions, and price comparisons between countries. Furthermore, there are barriers related to international trade, customs clearance, and public procurement, which relate to the economic partnerships side.

People with family owned businesses such as Francini, who we met today at her family’s farm, must be supported by the community around them. Since her farm is based around sustainability and not necessarily mass production such as other big companies such as Dole and Chiquita, she depends on people supporting that aspect of farming and buying her bananas rather than the major companies.

Some crops we saw today were bananas and pepper corn. Bananas are grown on trees and there a regulations as to how far apart they must grow. They grow from a flower where only the female flowers turn into a banana while the male flowers just stay flowers. Also, to create new trees, there is a baby tree with a mother tree that they replant to grow more bananas. As for pepper corns, they are on a vine that grows around trees which supply nitrogen. To continue the plant, you place moss and plastic around the vine and the growth continues.