Pineapple and banana producers from the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica were selected to implement 30 innovative project ideas that seek to conserve biodiversity on their farms, as part of an initiative organized by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in both countries with the Del Campo al Plato program.
“The implementation of these innovative ideas represents an interest on the part of producers to ensure that the ecosystems on their farms are maintained over time. All these actions translate into greater conservation of flora and fauna and guarantee them to be recognized for their commitment to biodiversity”, added Svenja Paulino, director of the program.
The application period of participants was carried out in two contests held in 2020 and aimed at large and small pineapple and banana producers from both countries, offering the opportunity to have technical and financial support to implement these ideas in their farms in 2021.
Of the 30 selected producers, 15 of them are located in the Dominican Republic and 15 in Costa Rica, whose projects associate technology with nature, promote biodiversity-friendly practices, and the conservation of forested areas within their farms.
Conservation examples
For example, In the Rancho Carlos project (DR), a meteorological station will be installed to carry out precision agriculture in its pineapple crops and thus efficiently use natural resources.
This allows them to improve their agricultural practices and, consequently, the health of the soil and water.
Stefan Trueb, production manager at Rancho Carlos, argued about the importance of the weather station to make better decisions in the field, as this affects the optimization of fertilizer use, pest control and planning or logistics for future meteorological conditions.
Del Campo al Plato Program
The program “From the Field to the Plate: integration of biodiversity in agri-food value chains” is implemented in the Dominican Republic by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and the German Cooperation for Development, GIZ, commissioned by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
