Costa Rica

The Rainforest Alliance, IDH-Sustainable Trade Initiative, and private entities in the banana sector collaborated on an evaluation of the social and environmental practices on Rainforest Alliance Certified banana farms in Costa Rica and Belize. The study was carried out in 2018 and analyzed wages, benefits, and workers’ rights; occupational health; and safety on a sample of seven […]

Bananas as a commodity have a tumultuous history, particularly when it comes to labor practices and environmental degradation. While there have been many improvements over the last few decades, trade unions and NGOs continue to report concerns, including that low wages on plantations are insufficient for workers and their families to achieve a decent standard […]

In this PhD dissertation, Rebeca de Jesus Crespo of the University of Georgia evaluates the impact of coffee agroforestry on high elevation streams in Costa Rica, assesses the effects of shade tree cover requirements on water quality, and makes recommendations for maximizing the effectiveness of NGO-academia partnerships.