Our friends at Rainforest Alliance recently announced a very exciting collaboration Nestle Nespresso. They have come together to help reduce the environmental impact and increase the social benefits of coffee cultivation in tropical regions throughout the world. Jessica Webb of Rainforest Alliance sums up its direct value to Costa Rica, “One of the most significant impacts is that Nespresso will be sourcing primarily from small farms, so thousands of small producers will benefit directly from this large international alliance. It will help conserve acres of sustainably managed land and surrounding ecosystems, plus the employment and help benefits that will accrue to thousands of workers.”

The farms will meet guidelines for farming that integrate the three spheres of sustainability: economic viability, environmental conservation and social justice.The Rainforest Alliance and other nonprofit groups formed the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) in the early 90’s to develop the aforementioned guidelines and have since helped thousands of farmers adopt them on farms growing a variety of crops in 22 tropical countries.

During years of fieldwork in coffee-growing areas, specialists in sustainable farm management from the Rainforest Alliance and the SAN joined with coffee quality experts from Nespresso to explore every detail of farm and mill management, and to identify social and environmental improvements. The resulting comprehensive program is called “Ecolaboration.

Farms that are certified in this new, innovative program have to comply with a wide variety of standards covering all aspects of sustainable farming, including soil and water conservation, protection of wildlife and forests, and ensuring that farm workers, women and children have all the proper rights and benefits, such as good wages, clean drinking water, access to schools and healthcare and security.

“The happy marriage of sustainability and quality proves the importance of an integrated approach, one that results in benefits for farmers, wildlife, ecosystems and communities”, says Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance.

Richard Girardot, CEO of Nestle Nespresso concurs, “We want to share value with the farmers who grow these highly prized coffees. Their quality of life, environmental quality and quality in the cup are equally interlinked.”

The Nespresso program already boasts six million espresso aficionados. Their coffee comes in capsules that get popped into a special Nespresso machine. It’s a great marketing idea with coffee that tastes good, while making you feel good about supporting a sustainable quality program benefiting small coffee farmers in Costa Rica and around the world

.

In the interest of promoting a dialogue on the politics of environmental policy, we are providing a brief summary of the Citizen’s Action Party (PAC) position. It appears in the post from Tex Hawkins, with an explanation of its origin.

The Citizen’s Action Party (PAC) has worked since its formation to define and strengthen those principles that guide our political participation.  The model of integrated development, solidarity and sustainability to which we are committed over the long term is based upon the recognition of universal human rights, from which emanate solid proposals and organizing principles of our thought and political action.  We agree that humanity is one and the planet is home to us all.  For this reason, we campaign for citizen action, solidarity, respect, equity, responsibility and ethics in government.

In the PAC party, we work for human development with environmental sustainability and a long-range perspective that integrates the economic as well as the social, cultural and political.  By “human development” we understand those processes that improve the quality of life associated with positive and balanced evolution of the country’s people and institutions through time.  Human development means better options for satisfying needs and providing individual and collective well-being.

The term “sustainability” relates to biodiversity conservation, responsible management of the nation’s natural resources, and ecosystem stability over time, such that human activity will not threaten or irreversibly affect natural cycles, resources, or bio-geophysical processes.  Sustainability is based on human comprehension and respect for the dynamic equilibriums of nature.  Our economic model and socio-political organization are based on the principles summarized above.

We introduced you to Tex Hawkins a number of months ago. He has just posted a terrific article that shares a combination of environmental and political science. He provides an English translation of the Citizen’s Action Party (PAC) environmental platform, which we consider to be extremely important in Costa Rica’s political dialogue. It will also be posted separately, in the interest of encouraging this dialogue.

“In my last post to Nature Air’s Nature Blog, I translated and shared observations from Costa Rican presidential candidate and opposition party leader Otton Solis, made after he attended the January inauguration of Barack Obama.  Of course, it’s impossible to predict how the ideals embodied in those reflections would play out if he were elected to that nation’s highest office, just as it would have been impossible for many of us to predict the effects of the military-industrial-financial-media complex on the rhetorical promise of our new president’s social and environmental agendas.  As my 90-year-old mother often advises, “hope for the best.”

I would advise further that we stay informed, involved and committed to a peaceful quest for the common good.  In that spirit, Winona State University launched a unique educational exchange last year, in the form of an interdisciplinary travel-study course on comparative conservation history and evolution of environmental policy.  We titled the course, “Making Peace with Nature,” borrowing from the initiative launched by Nobel prize-winning President Oscar Arias.  Our agenda called for visits to important conservation areas and communities participating in innovative programs.  The founders and leaders of Costa Rica’s internationally recognized efforts graciously found time to share their personal stories with the students, frankly discuss successes and failures, and answer many questions regarding future possibilities for a sustainable, healthy and just society. Read on…

A number of months ago, we welcomed Stephen Brooks to Nature Blog. Stephen is a very high energy guy, who is on a mission in Costa Rica. He is an environmental warrior, a proponent of eating healthy foods, and an advocate for sustainable living. Presently, he is very involved in launching the Machuca community, an eco-village project in San Mateo de Orotina, located in the north Pacific region of the country. This serves as the back drop for Stephen’s current contribution. He has a great perspective on where we are at and where we need to be going and I encourage you to read on.

“In 1995, while on vacation in Costa Rica, I witnessed a playground full of indigenous children getting sprayed by a crop duster while playing Soccer. I learned how in order to grow cheaper and cheaper bananas entire ecosystems and countless lives are being destroyed, and this realization changed my life forever and led to a series of business mostly focused in Costa Rica.  I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could a society that has achieved so much be so destructive? We can zip around the world on jets and video chat through our cell phones and yet most of the food we eat is grown with harmful chemicals, while the last remaining sustainable farmers are less and less able to stay in business. So those who should be teaching the whole world how to become sustainable are themselves being lost to unsustainable global trends. We have to turn this around. We can’t think of anything more important to do and so that is what we are devoting our lives to. Whether its through the development of sustainable communities (Kopali Communities) or through the marketing of products grown and produced by sustainable farmers (Kopali Organics). Read on…

I don’t know about you, but I am often intimidated and overwhelmed by thoughts of climate change, conservation and sustainability. What can you do and where can you turn for some inspiration?

Natureair is a great story, and it is one about vision, perseverance and a dedication to conservation and service. Its Founder and CEO, Alex Khajavi, put it all on the line right after September 11^th, when he purchased a bankrupt Costa Rican airline and overcame some very tough odds along the way. Less than eights years later, it is an extraordinary accomplishment for this company to receive the prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow award, presented by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Alex Khajavi accepted the award at the Global Travel and Tourism Summit, held in Florianopolis, Brazil, May 14th-18th. He said, “It is an honor for us to receive this award from WTTC which is one of the only awards decided by the top 100 tourism companies in the world and that includes on-site audits that vet your sustainable projects. The award only inspires us to do more and continue to chase sustainability, and we hope that it also inspires others, most notably other airlines to take up the challenge on climate change and work to reduce and offset their emissions.”

Sustainable practices and fighting climate change can be a personal decision to begin recycling in your home, or it can be about an airline in Costa Rica. It is the intention and not the scale of the effort that matters. Ultimately, individuals make these choices, whether they are CEO’s or single parent householders. So, this is an opportunity to thank individuals like Alex Khajavi for creating a company that makes a difference by operating responsibly with respect for the environment and the community, basic principles of sustainability.

Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC President and CEO summed up their story very well at the awards ceremony. “In 2004, Natureair made a highly ambitious pledge to set new standards for sustainable practices in the airline industry, compensating for 100% of its greenhouse gas emissions through preservation and reforestation of tropical forests in the Osa Peninsula. And it has not only fulfilled this pledge, but has also implemented a whole host of other effective sustainable policies and activities, including community benefit outreach programs.”

The need to travel and explore is basic to our nature. The curiosity to know what is just beyond the horizon, at the top of a mountain or at the bottom of the ocean, has driven us for millennia. The travel and tourism industries have empowered millions of us to experience the elation felt by early explorers when they first came upon the magnificence and abundance of places like the Osa Peninsula. These modern experiences expose us to the crying need to act responsibly, especially in light of the damage done from over development. The recently held summit was a tremendous opportunity for the sharing of ideas and strategies regarding responsible travel.

Alexi Huntley, Commercial Director for Natureair, was also at the gathering and had the following observations, “This event was the pinnacle of strategic thinking and innovation in tackling challenging issues like climate change, the global recession and even the impact of pandemics on our industry. The industry employs over 225 million people worldwide and represents 10% of global GDP. The ambience was electric, and it was a pleasure to see the Minister of Tourism from Botswana on stage with the CEO of Marriott. While strategies might be different, the goals are common to everyone in attendance.”

Just heard from Dr. Herster Barres of Reforest The Tropics in response to the recent Earth Day related post. As some of you may recall, we did a fairly extensive two-part post on his organization. My post on the state of earthly matters painted a fairly harsh picture, but I hope there were some shades of optimism, especially because of the hard work of many eco-pioneers in Costa Rica.  Dr. Barres is one of those people, who has dedicated his life to leaving the Earth in better shape than he found it.

“RTT continues to progress.  We should reach 300 acres of the RTT Model carbon-offset forest planted by the end of 2009 with the participation of 65 US sponsors.  Remember that our goal is to develop and demonstrate an improved model of carbon-offset forests.  The Model seeks to make reforestation profitable for the farmer, as profitable as cattle so as to promote the massive reforestation of farm pastures in the tropics.  Specifically, the monetary goal is $500/ha/yr.  If we can achieve this goal, then we have a good chance of making the forest sustainable.  And sustainability means long-term carbon sequestration.

So, more directly addressing your blog, I believe that there may be less of a conflict between profitability (commerce) and good stewardship of the environment.

Read on…

Purposely waiting until the day after Earth Day to post this commentary. It is really what happens to this Earth the other 364 days when we are not paying attention to it that matters. If you are writing for a blog that calls itself Nature Blog, you feel kind of compelled to pay some respects to this combination of celebration and loud siren of warning.

I believe our greed has sanctioned violations of excess without parallel in modern history. Over the course of the millennia, we have grown much more efficient, but no more intelligent. Cheap oil, followed by an explosion in technology, stewing in a soup of extraordinarily greedy financial institutions, and finally, seasoned by the relentless destruction of our natural environment, have created a catastrophic recipe with unbelievable consequences.

I would like to raise some questions on behalf of nature, who does not seem to have a voice in the discussion. What is it that ever gave man the idea that Earth, with all its finite natural resources and delicate life balances, was somehow placed here strictly for his convenience? Why is it that greed is a trait found only in the human species? How is it that our intellect has trumped our instincts? Why isn’t healing the planet more important than determining its origin?

The biggest question of all is what are we going to do about repairing the consequences of our actions?  Countries like Costa Rica are terribly challenged by the imbalance between their bountiful natural resources and very modest economic resources. It is difficult to preserve its exquisite natural beauty from the onslaught of unfettered commercial development. Well-intentioned laws are hard to enforce and environmental violations are not policed with sufficient manpower. The reasons for this are two fold: Lack of funds and a true political will to put the Earth first, ahead of commerce. There is nothing unique about this circumstance, but the country’s extraordinary natural gifts heighten the dilemma. The good news is that debate is growing louder in Costa Rica and the voices of preservation and community are being heard. The small number of conservationists and community activists has been growing over the decades.

The idea that maximizing profitability is the only yardstick for measuring success is precisely the thinking that has begun bankrupting our planet. The new world of sustainability has created three equally important units and we must navigate our future by using them to maintain our new course. Making money is no longer in charge; it now shares the stage with benefiting the people and safeguarding the Earth. Successful solutions incorporate these three basic elements and while there is balance between them, there is no exclusion of anyone for the benefit of any other. Like a tripod, it will topple over if one its legs are too weak.

When you look at Costa Rica through this thought prism called sustainability, you see a country well poised to chart a course through the minefield of challenges ahead. Like the rest of the players in the actual, Earth Survival Reality Show, winning is a matter of natural attributes, resources and will. However, in this game we really can’t afford any losers.

Now, if you have gotten this far into this post, I want to encourage you to read about Natureair by visiting their web site. While they are the folks who make Nature Blog possible, they are the same people who would want me to put the Earth first, especially the day after Earth Day, when it really counts.

Corporately, they don’t like to blow their own horn because being a responsible business is normal for them. On the other hand, you can only become an example through creating awareness. NatureKids is a splendid program the airline underwrites at an annual  cost of $65,000 USD. Equipment and supplies are provided for children, including computers, and they are taught English. Family involvement is encouraged in the program.

All of Natureair’s ground transportation runs on biodiesel they collect, refine and process. This is a great program and I encourage reading more about it.

No matter how efficiently the airline operates, they are definitely in the carbon emission business and all they can practically do is to purchase offsets. Well, the fact is, they were the first carbon neutral airline in the world, accomplishing it through the preservation and reforestation of portions of the pristine Osa Peninsula.

Happy Day After Earth Day.

�

On April 11^th, Thomas L. Friedman published an OP-ED piece in the New York Times, describing his experience on a recent vacation to Costa Rica. He is a very well respected journalist and there are many people who take his writing at face value. His account of Costa Rica’s efforts to preserve and protect its environment paints a beautiful picture of a country that is moving forward with ease, serving as a model worthy of emulation.

I think it is misleading to give the impression that the country is not challenged every day by inadequate infrastructure and enforcement, along with development that threatens its delicate ecosystems. Costa Rica is not paradise. It is a Central American country blessed with exquisite natural gifts, but it faces hard choices and every win for nature is frequently offset by some compromise for profit elsewhere. It is unfair to burden Costa Rica with the mantle of environmental sainthood because it is only through the incredibly unselfish efforts of many of its citizens that hard fought battles for nature have been won. 

I wanted to check in with our friend, Leland Baxter-Neal for some perspective on the matter:

“It’s always nice to see news of Costa Rica in the international press, and I was interested to see that one of my favorite columnists at the New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman, wrote about Costa Rica during a recent visit. He exalts many of this country’s more environmentally friendly features and policies, and argues that the United States could stand to learn a lot from this tiny Central American neighbor.

But Friedman does not tell the whole story. Some of the facts he cites are misleading, and he gives a very superficial view of the real environmental situation in Costa Rica. While it might be a good tactic in arguing for more sustainable policies — particularly in energy — in the United States, for those of us that are concerned about truly progressive environmental policies in Costa Rica, he does us no favors.” 

I strongly encourage you to read Leland’s blog for an in depth analysis of Mr. Friedman’s story and its implications.

�

Recently, we posted our first communication from Tex Hawkins, a gentleman with a long history of involvement in Costa Rica’s environmental protection and preservation efforts. In his second installment, he shares his translation of comments made by Otton Solis, who attended President Barack Obama’s inauguration. His impressions, written in Spanish, were sent to close friends. By way of introduction, Mr. Solis founded the political party, PAC (Citizen’s Action Party), and he ran for president in 2002 and 2006, nearly winning on his second attempt. He was also a leader in the opposition to CAFTA. We are not endorsing or opposing his politics, merely sharing his inspiring personal experience as a witness to the inauguration.

“In the cold of Washington that 20th of January – as much from the economic recession as the three degree centigrade temperatures – the words of Obama warmed the spirit of his listeners…

“I was physically close (a few meters from the presidential podium, among U.S. celebrities in politics, culture, business and entertainment) and I felt close conceptually and ethically…

“The atmosphere mixed the festive with the solemn, the emotional with the intellectual, and the past with the future…all of us agreed that Obama himself was a message against whatever kind of discrimination – origin, race, class, culture, nationality and history… we also talked about his concepts in relation to the environment, patriotism, citizen participation, transparency and the call to service that ought to characterize those who govern, with social justice, respect for other nations and commitment to diplomacy…

“I kept remembering ‘Imagine,’ John Lennon’s hymn to love and peace.  In the moments of his swearing in, a pregnant silence filled the auditorium.  Together, we prayed that the new President would let himself be guided by God and that God would listen to his petitions.

“He began by saying that he came before us with humility and gratitude, conscious of what his ancestors had done for the United States.  Later he talked about the necessity of uniting, eliminating conflict, polarization and dogmas.  He affirmed that what’s important is not the size of the state, but whether or not it functions…he added that economic success doesn’t depend solely on the size of the GNP, but on the numbers of people who benefit from prosperity; the possibility of bringing opportunity to everyone…

“I return to Costa Rica convinced of the enormous opportunities that present themselves with the arrival of a new paradigm in Washington.  I think that today Obama is the name of hope, and it depends on us to convert it to reality.”

Otton Solis

We are being tested on a daily basis to find within ourselves a ray of hope and optimism amidst the darkness and foreboding that bombards our consciousness. Our environment is under siege from our wanton disregard for its well-being and our mistaken idea that the natural world was created solely for our personal enjoyment. We have stretched the global economy to the breaking point because of a similarly distorted sensibility regarding our birthright to selfish abundance. In the silence of this desperation, it is inspiring to hear a voice of hope, one that speaks to the possibilities.

Thank you, Tex, for translating and sharing the eloquently expressed sentiments of this prominent Costa Rican.

Just like you and I, companies are known by the company they keep. Natureair is one example of how Costa Rica’s private sector can do its part in making a positive contribution to the environment and to the people. We want to share the story of another company, GreenSpot.travel, selected by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the Top Travel Specialist since 2006.

Costa Rica is near and dear to GreenSpot.travel’s founders and employees. Those in the organization that are not Costa Rican themselves, have lived in the country, and they want their travel company to give back. Bringing travelers to carefully selected lodging with ecofriendly practices that contribute to conservation and local communities is a priority for GreenSpot. Condé Nast Traveler has recognized GreenSpot.travel for not only their expertise in Costa Rica but for their efforts in green travel by designating them a top travel specialist. The founders realized though that they could make an even greater impact by contributing some of their own profits to community development projects in rural Costa Rica. 

The first project  began with the goal of helping a small school near La Fortuna, where the famous Arenal Volcano is located, to raise money to build a room at the school for indoor activities, talks on environmental sustainability and to make other necessary improvements.  A rural school in Costa Rica doesn’t have many resources. So how can a travel company help?  Richard and Irene Edwards collect gently used clothing from donors in the U.S. and deliver the goods during their regular trips to Costa Rica. Project leaders at the school then sell the clothes for school resources. Read on…