Costa Rica's New Food System Pathway: Addressing Food Insecurity

In Buenos Aires, 11.76% of households faced food insecurity in 2020, a stark contrast to the national average and underscoring the urgent local need for Costa Rica's newly launched sustainable agrifood pathway. This acute vulnerability, particularly in regions like Guatuso where 22.65% of households experienced food insecurity—significantly exceeding the national average of 16.42% in the same year—demands systemic change, according to UNSDG Un.

Costa Rica has launched an ambitious national pathway for sustainable agrifood systems, but significant pockets of local food insecurity and past market disruptions for farmers reveal the deep-seated challenges it aims to overcome. National initiatives, despite their strategic intent, struggle to effectively integrate grassroots innovations and protect vulnerable farmers from persistent market disruptions, leaving significant pockets of food insecurity unaddressed.

Based on initial engagement numbers and the historical resilience of local farmers, the success of Costa Rica's agrifood transformation appears likely to depend on how effectively national governance strengthens local capacity and integrates community-level innovations.

The Urgent Need: Persistent Food Insecurity and Farmer Vulnerability

In 2020, food insecurity affected 11.76% of households in Buenos Aires and 22.65% in Guatuso, with Guatuso's rate exceeding the national average of 16.42%, according to UNSDG Un. Simultaneously, agroecological farmers faced severe livelihood disruptions during Covid-19, including economic hardships, market disruptions, and farmworker shortages, according to PMC. These combined statistics reveal deep-seated vulnerabilities within Costa Rica's local food systems. The new national pathway is critical for resilience, yet the severe market disruptions experienced by farmers during Covid-19 demonstrate that sustainability alone offers little protection against economic shocks without robust, resilient market infrastructure.

Strategic Efforts to Strengthen Governance and Market Access

In 2024, the SUN Movement organized a multi-day workshop on agri-food systems transformation, uniting national and local stakeholders. This workshop developed strategies for strengthening governance and improving market access, according to UNSDG Un. These foundational activities reflect a strategic, multi-stakeholder approach to improving food system infrastructure and ensuring better access to nutritious food. The national pathway also seeks to maintain and upgrade markets selling nutritious foods, increasing their availability, affordability, and safety for local populations. However, persistent high rates of food insecurity in regions like Guatuso suggest these top-down efforts are currently too limited in scope to address deep-seated local challenges effectively.

Researchers at UNED in Costa Rica are using fungi to convert organic waste into edible mushrooms, agricultural bio-inputs, and biodegradable biomaterials, according to The Tico Times. This local innovation showcases significant resilience and ingenuity. During Covid-19, farmers adapted by minimizing distance with consumers for direct delivery and establishing e-commerce platforms, according to PMC. Such local innovations and farmer-led adaptations demonstrate a powerful capacity for sustainable practices that could be scaled through national support. The ingenuity of local researchers converting waste into food stands in stark contrast to the broader national strategy, indicating a critical missed opportunity for the national pathway to integrate and scale proven grassroots innovations for greater impact.