This blog is an English translation of the blog originally published in Spanish on the website of TRANSFORMA INNOVA
An idea became an excellent opportunity to kickstart their dreams; this is how 21 people dedicated to coffee farming in Costa Rica won the INNOVA-VERDE coffee edition contest. Energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, and bioinputs were some of the winning thematic focuses. 10 out of the 21 finalist ideas were presented by women.
The award ceremony, held at ICAFÉ, was attended by Fernando Vargas, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Isaac Pérez, Deputy Minister of Strategic Management of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Alexandra Herr, Counselor of the German Embassy, Sylvanie Jardinet, Cooperation Officer of the European Union in Costa Rica, and María José Castillo, Deputy Director of ICAFÉ.
The contest supports these winning ideas with non-refundable funds totaling up to €300,000. The contest is led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), coordinated by the German Cooperation for Development GIZ and the Environmental Bank Foundation (FUNBAM), while execution will be handled by the Costa Rican Coffee Institute (ICAFE).
This initiative is of utmost importance to promote and accelerate sustainable solutions in the country’s productive sectors, so that, while maintaining productivity and profitability, they can also reduce their environmental footprint and increase their resilience to climate change.
The INNOVA-VERDE idea contest is part of the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA program of the German Cooperation for Development GIZ, which is implemented hand in hand with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and consortium partners.
