Project Highlights
Funders
British Embassy San José under the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and individual donors through the GlobalGiving Platform
Partners
Osacoop R.L.
Implementation dates
August 2021
-
March 2022
Commodities
Oil palm
Vanilla
Cacao
Plantain
Beneficiaries
111 Members (30% women) and extended farmer community of Osacoop R.L. farmer organization
About the project
In Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, SAN’s OSAN project strengthened OSACOOP’s capacity to protect biodiversity while improving farm livelihoods. After a diagnostic field visit, SAN delivered a train-the-trainer program—nine practical sessions on pest and beneficial insect monitoring, safer pesticide use and alternatives, biodiversity protection and forest restoration, income diversification, and smallholder business skills—culminating in farmer-led practice sessions. Farmers received flower seed starter kits to attract pollinators and natural enemies. In parallel, SAN convened local stakeholders through ongoing engagement and a roundtable to co-design a joint sustainable agriculture strategy for the peninsula, aligning community needs with environmental targets beyond COP26.
Outcomes
The OSAN project built local capacity and momentum in the Osa Peninsula. Sixteen lead farmers (7 women, 8 men) earned trainer status, twenty-five members completed training in eco-friendly practices, biodiversity protection, and forest restoration, and twenty-five farmers developed farm-level action plans. The work culminated in six local organizations—Agrotrópico/Ascona, Aromas de Osa, Cooperativa Los Higuerones, Biriteca Agroecológica, OSACOOP, and Osa Conservation—committing to lead a joint sustainable agriculture strategy for the peninsula.