The “Del Campo al Plato” project has been promoting the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic since 2018. Pineapple and banana production and exports to Europe put pressure on sensitive ecosystems – the Global Nature Fund and its project partners are working with local stakeholders to find solutions for diversity on the plantations. Several biotope corridors that have already been established allow animal and plant species worthy of protection to spread naturally despite the extensive areas under cultivation
Radolfzell, 22.05.2023: On the occasion of today’s World Biodiversity Day, the Global Nature Fund (GNF) looks back on its successes in a special biodiversity project: In an innovative approach to conserve biodiversity in banana and pineapple cultivation, project participants from Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic have established biotope corridors along their plantations with the support of GNF, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Lake Constance Foundation. The corridors are intended to facilitate the movement of wild animals and help to mitigate the negative effects of monocultures on the environment and nature.
The biotope corridors were created as part of the “Del Campo al Plato” (“From Farm to Fork”) project, which was launched in 2018 and will run until October 2023. The project aims to promote the integration of biodiversity into the value chains of bananas and pineapples and to support producers in implementing more sustainable agricultural practices.
Banana and pineapple plantations are an important source of income for the rural population in Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, two of the most important production and export countries for these tropical fruits. However, cultivation in monocultures leads to habitat fragmentation, environmental degradation, soil depletion and ultimately the loss of biodiversity. To address these issues, partner organizations have worked with local plantations and cooperatives to establish corridors that connect their land to nearby protected forests and other regional corridors, allowing more wildlife to move between habitats. The corridors also provide new areas for plant species to grow, creating a more diverse ecosystem.
The initiative was supported by regional nature conservation authorities and NGOs, which provided technical assistance in setting up the corridors. The establishment and maintenance of the corridors is financed by companies and stakeholders along the banana and pineapple value chains who can invest in this initiative. So far, three corridors have been established: two in Costa Rica (“Río Parismina” and “Los Malecu”) and one in the Dominican Republic (“Río Jura”).
Project manager Thomas Schaefer has just returned from a project trip: “It’s fascinating to see the measures that the banana and pineapple producers have implemented in four years. Again, it shows that people in tropical growing countries understand much better what biodiversity means to them.”
The successful establishment of the corridors is complemented by other services provided by the Del Campo al Plato project. This includes raising awareness along the entire supply chain, from production, export and retail to consumers, about the importance of biodiversity, training the people who work on the plantations in innovative and environmentally friendly agricultural techniques and supporting project ideas in local communities to protect and restore natural habitats around the plantations. The project has attracted attention at several national and international events, e.g. Fruit Logistica 2023, Biofach 2023 and the German Nature Conservation Day 2022.
Contact us
Global Nature Fund (GNF)
International Foundation for Environment and Nature
Dr. Thomas Schaefer
Head of Nature Conservation & Living Lakes
Fritz-Reichle-Ring 4
78315 Radolfzell
+49 7732 9995 89
schaefer@globalnature.org
www.globalnature.org