In Costa Rica, the average cost of a healthy diet reached US$4.56, while worldwide it was US$3.96 per person per day, according to the latest United Nations report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (2024).
This difference shows the importance of promoting sustainable food systems, since the link between healthy people, healthy societies and a planet in balance places these systems at the center of efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Costa Rica seeks change
This is one of the reasons why Costa Rica is working to promote the transformation of agri-food systems through the instrument “Costa Rica towards Sustainable and Healthy Agri-Food Systems 2023-2026: from the field to the plate”.
This effort seeks to promote sustainable consumption and production, strengthen local markets, improve the marketing and traceability of products, and guarantee the access of the entire population to varied, healthy and nutritious foods.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the agri-food system encompasses the set of elements and relationships that exist between the different actors that make it possible for food to reach the table. This process includes production, transportation, storage up to food outlets, advertising, marketing and finally reaching the consumer.
Andrea Padilla, assistant representative of FAO programs in Costa Rica, highlighted:
An agri-food system determines the quantity, quality and diversity of food available for consumption. In addition, he stressed that, in order to continue improving and strengthening the country’s food and nutritional security, it is essential to have a clear roadmap.
The roadmap was built from the national consultation process carried out in 2021, with the participation of multiple actors linked to food systems, from production to consumption. This broad participatory process involved both the public and private sectors in national dialogues, whose inputs and proposals were presented at the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit.
After the 2021 Summit, the project emerged: “Empowering communities in sustainable agri-food systems”, developed within the framework of the SDG Fund Joint Program initiative. This project aims to strengthen the governance of agri-food systems, promote sustainable agricultural production practices and encourage healthy eating in the cantons of Buenos Aires and Guatuso. Its implementation is led by FAO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Local Sectoral Committees, and it also has the support of the governments of Germany, Spain, Ireland and Italy.
Allegra Baiocchi, resident coordinator of the United Nations system in Costa Rica commented:
We need to work under an integrated approach that allows the transformation of sustainable, healthy, equitable and resilient agri-food systems. This approach requires the articulation between the Government, public and private sectors, to jointly promote actions that improve livelihoods, generate greater social cohesion and safeguard environmental sustainability for future generations, without leaving anyone behind.
Hand in hand with the climate
The document also underlines the importance of involving women and rural youth in the adoption of new sustainable, climate-resilient practices and technologies that improve local food production to facilitate short supply chains and reduce the climate footprint.
Fair prices
The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, MAG, Fernando Vargas Pérez, explained: As part of this process to strengthen sustainable and healthy agri-food systems 2023-2026, the MAG, as the governing body of the Agricultural Sector, identified a series of priorities. Among which are the marketing of agricultural products through short circuits to improve access for the population, achieve fair prices for producing families and reduce negative externalities. In addition to promoting good practices for the development of the circular economy, prioritizing the development of value-added chains, to achieve differentiation and greater use of food products; strengthening research and technology transfer, for the scaling up of organic agricultural production and, from the agricultural public policy, improving the accessibility of consumers to healthy diets.
This process has been led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock with the support of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Environment and Energy and Health, the Costa Rican Institute of Technology and the accompaniment of the United Nations System in Costa Rica and the FAO.
