Restoring nature and promoting sustainable agriculture with the communities of Costa Rica (Tempisque REGENERA)

In 2021, Costa Rica formalizes the Agro-Environmental Agenda, a joint initiative of the Ministries of Agriculture (MAG) and Environment (MINAE). In this context, the Sustainable Agro-Landscapes Initiative (IAPS), launched by the current government (2022-2026), aims to promote sustainable, resilient and carbon-neutral agro-landscapes. The entirety of the activities allows to "REGENERATE" biodiversity, ecosystem services and implement sustainable economic opportunities

• Implement a pilot model of sustainable agro-landscapes in the lower basin of the Tempisque River and the Gulf of Nicoya, in connection with the agri-environmental agenda of Costa Rica.
• Strengthen and harmonize territorial coordination mechanisms between local actors for shared governance of territories.
• Promote sustainable productive practices that restore biodiversity, improve ecosystem services and foster ecological connectivity.
• Transforming agricultural production systems to combine economic performance, environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
• Centralize and enhance existing information systems to ensure integrated knowledge management and better decision-making.

• Implement territorial actions aligned with the Agro-Environmental Agenda and the Sustainable Agrolandscapes Initiative (SIAP) through structured and coordinated governance mechanisms.
• Strengthen ecological and economic resilience by adopting sustainable production practices that preserve biodiversity and improve ecosystem connectivity.
• Make available and usable the information and data resulting from the implementation and monitoring of the agro-environmental agenda and the IAPS for local actors.

The project constitutes an innovative pilot for the implementation of the agro-environmental agenda and the Sustainable Agrolandscapes Initiative (SIAP), two pioneering management tools in the region. It marks a major political breakthrough by establishing an unprecedented collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), thus bringing together the sectors of agriculture and conservation. Its innovative character is also evident in the local coordination mechanisms, which bring together private actors, public institutions and volunteers, ensuring the sustainability and territorial anchoring of actions. Finally, the project aims to transform mentalities and practices by fully integrating the principles of the agro-environmental agenda and IAPS into local dynamics.