For the original blog in Spanish, see here
English translation:
Competition to Reward 20 Initiatives Linked to the Value Chain of the Banana and Musaceae Sector
Participants Will Receive Mentorship and Training from ACTIVA-CATIE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab
Around 20 innovative ideas related to the production of musaceae crops (such as bananas, plantains, and abacá) will receive non-reimbursable funding along with mentorship and support as part of the third edition of the INNOVA-VERDE ideas competition.
The goal of the competition is to promote diversification and productive efficiency in small and medium-sized musaceae production units, as well as in the various associated value chain links.
These innovative ideas aim to replicate measures with the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with a special focus on proposals oriented toward the replication and scaling of Costa Rica’s Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) for musaceae.
“With the support of international cooperation resources, we continue to drive efforts to transform production systems to make them more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This competition is an excellent opportunity to identify and support innovative ideas with positive impacts that contribute to the development of musaceae production, which is vital in several rural areas of the country,” highlighted Fernando Vargas Pérez, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.
“We have already held two competitions, one for coffee and another for livestock. For this third edition, we are seeking innovations for the musaceae sector to enhance climate adaptation, foster more resilient production, and scale up proven solutions for small and medium-sized producers,” added Sylvanie Jardinet, Development Cooperation Officer for the European Union Delegation in Costa Rica.
The call is open to small and medium-sized producers across Costa Rica who are directly linked to musaceae value chains. Special consideration will be given to women, students, young people, and individuals from Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities.
Vladimir Valera, Director of ACTIVA-CATIE, explained, “As part of the competition process, virtual and in-person workshops will be held across Costa Rica to explain the competition guidelines and proposal format. Most importantly, these workshops will motivate individuals—especially young people, women, Indigenous communities, and others—to submit initiatives that strengthen livelihoods while enhancing the potential for GHG mitigation or sequestration, climate resilience, and sustainable biodiversity conservation and use.”
Winners will receive a cash prize equivalent to €7,500 (in Costa Rican colones) to develop their ideas. Additionally, they will receive mentorship from ACTIVA-CATIE, the innovation and entrepreneurship lab of CATIE’s Forests and Biodiversity in Productive Landscapes Unit, which has extensive experience in idea development and prototyping.
“We are thrilled to launch this third edition of the INNOVA-VERDE Competition, which promotes low-carbon agricultural production. We invite small and medium-sized businesses in the banana, plantain, and abacá sectors to submit their innovative ideas, especially those led by young people, women, and Indigenous communities, who aim to transform musaceae production in Costa Rica,” said Alberto Vega, Director of the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program for GIZ.
How to Participate
Initiatives can be submitted from November 29, 2024, to January 17, 2025, via the website: activa.catie.ac.cr/web/innova-verde. Following a process of training and proposal evaluation, the winning projects will be announced at an awards event in March 2025.
For more information about the competition and requirements, email: activa@catie.ac.cr.
About the Competition
This competition is part of the actions under the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program: “Transformative Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient Pathways in Costa Rica: Climate-Smart Agriculture and Value Chains.” Through INNOVA-VERDE, 44 initiatives in the coffee and livestock sectors have been funded in previous editions.
This edition is executed by the ACTIVA-CATIE Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab, part of the Forests and Biodiversity in Productive Landscapes Unit at CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center), and coordinated by German Development Cooperation (GIZ).
The TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program is coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and co-financed by the European Union, Germany’s Federal Ministries for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). It is implemented by GIZ in partnership with CATIE, Conservation International (CI), the Costa Rica – United States Foundation for Cooperation (CRUSA), the Environmental Bank Foundation (FUNBAM), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).