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 sales points, advertising, marketing and finally reaching the consumer.
Andrea Padilla, FAO Assistant Programme Representative in Costa Rica, highlighted that an agri-food system determines the quantity, quality and diversity of food available for consumption. She also 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 based on 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.
Following the 2021 Summit, the project “Empowering communities in sustainable agri-food systems” emerged, developed within the framework of the SDG Fund Joint Programme 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 has the support of the governments of Germany, Spain, Ireland and Italy.
“We need to work under an integrated approach that allows for the transformation of sustainable, healthy, equitable and resilient agri-food systems. This approach requires coordination between the Government, the 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,” said Allegra Baiocchi, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system in Costa Rica.
The document also highlights 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.
"As part of this process to strengthen sustainable and healthy agri-food systems 2023-2026, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, as the governing body of the Agricultural Sector, identified a series of priorities. Among which are the commercialization 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,” explained the Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Fernando Vargas Pérez.
The latest United Nations report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (2024) revealed that the average cost of a healthy diet worldwide was $3.96 per person per day, while in Costa Rica, it reached $4.56.
This difference highlights the importance of promoting sustainable food systems, as the link between healthy people, healthy societies and a balanced planet places these systems at the heart of efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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.
The full document can be downloaded from the following link: https://www.mag.go.cr/bibliotecavirtual/E10-11145.pdf
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
