Banana multi-national Chiquita and Costa Rican banana industry body Corbana have announced an expanded partnership for the San San Pond Sak biodiversity project in the border region of Panama and Costa Rica.

The partnership involves German government development corporation GTZ. Also in on the deal are local authorities in the Central American region and German retailer Rewe.

Fernando Aguirre, chairman and ceo at Chiquita, said: “Chiquita is committed to supporting important environmental sustainability projects wherever we operate,. The addition of GTZ and Corbana to our San San Pond Sak biodiversity project will further strengthen our sustainability efforts. We are especially pleased to expand our alliance in 2010 as the United Nations has designated it the International Year of Biodiversity. Environmental sustainability is a wise investment in the future and is a duty we have as global citizens.”

Chiquita signed a partnership with Rewe two years ago committing both parties jointly to the safeguarding of endangered habitats and species in the protected wetlands of the San San Pond Sak reserve, near Chiquita’s banana farms in Panama and Costa Rica. In June last year, Chiquita and Rewe planted the first tree on a 130-hectare property donated by the two companies.

Last week all parties formalised their agreement to protect biodiversity and work with communities and local public agencies in the coastal regions of Bocas in Panama and Sixaola in Costa Rica, on both sides of the Panama-Costa Rica border.

This public-private partnership is based on the conviction that the exceptional biodiversity of the region can only be preserved for future generations if communities, companies and farmers, civil society organisations and governmental institutions work together.

The expanded alliance is based on a three-year, public-private partnership committed to biodiversity, environmental education, community development, new income sources for inhabitants (including a special focus on women and indigenous communities), and becoming a model of international co-operation.

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