Costa Rica’s banana industry is aiming to be the first in the world to be completely carbon neutral in four years’ time.
Corbana, the banana producers’ association in the country, recently submitted its banana industry action plan against climate change to Costa Rica’s ministry of environment and energy, in which it details plans to cut its net greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.
The plan was formally presented to minister Roberto Dobles Mora under the framework of the national strategy for climate change, earmarked as a priority in the government’s 2006-10 agenda.
The action plan first calculates the overall level and source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses produced by the industry, in order to advise individual banana farms on what steps and measures they must take to offset them.
Corbana and the banana environment commission in Costa Rica will encourage producers to adopt a number of measures, such as the creation of more carbon sinks through reforestation programmes and cutting back on the use of fossil fuels and fertilisers, as well as reducing the use of traditional pesticides and fertilisers.
A manual of good environmental practices will be developed to reinforce an education programme for workers, to show them the value of fighting climate change.
Corbana chief executive Jorge Sauma said: “Even though there are several courses of action open to producers, Corbana encourages growers to build carbon sinks through replanting schemes and to reduce the use of traditional pesticides and fertilisers.”
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