The Costa Rican government has reportedly launched a nationwide initiative designed to boost social and environmental responsibility within the country’s pineapple industry.
The development comes in response to European consumer concerns about workers’ rights and chemical usage on Costa Rican pineapple plantations, according to a report by El País.cr.
Despite the move, the report said Costa Rican authorities have still not officially recognised the “serious” environmental damages that the pineapple industry has apparently caused.
El País.cr also claimed that officials have ignored complaints regarding alleged worker violations from within Costa Rica as well as Spain, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The so-called “National Platform for Responsible Pineapple Production and Trade in Costa Rica, was unveiled on Monday 27 June by Costa Rican Vice-President Luis Liberman.
Vice-President Liberman said the programme will serve to help Costa Rica to expand its competitive advantages in the pineapple industry by not only increasing workers’ productivity but also through a better environmental performance.
He added that the scheme aims to transform the conflicts (caused by pineapple expansion) into opportunities for local development and community participation, as well as guaranteeing a better compliance with strict regulations and good agricultural practices among all those involved in the production and marketing of pineapples.
The platform is also designed to improve dialogue between pineapple producers and exporters, communities and public institutions, with the aim of promoting research and environmental protection.
The new scheme has been developed by several government ministries, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Interchurch Organisation (ICCO) in the Netherlands.
