Costa Rica's Path to Self-Sustainability Through Environmental Conservation and Social Enterprise

Introduction

Many countries throughout the world recognize Costa Rica as an environmentally conscious country. Visitors to the land note its preserved natural beauty, friendly people, and pristine beaches. In order for Costa Rica to maintain such natural beauty, it underwent a tremendous transformation and concentrated effort on proactively conserving the environment while making it sustainable through job creation via tourism and other economic activities. Because Costa Rica made the environment its focus, it seeks to pursue a means of self-sustainability that promotes environmental conservation while also allowing the country to reap the benefits of other avenues of job creation, such as conservation and tourism through social entrepreneurship and other initiatives. However, the literature presents a gap in such efforts due to the lack of comprehensive understanding of the groundwork that transpires when Costa Rican organizations form and develop under the Costa Rican government. This literature review highlights the efforts and presents the gap in literature by providing examples of such organizations.

Social entrepreneurship is an attempt by an organization, person, or government to draw upon commercial methods to find answers to social dilemmas. This idea may be practical to an assortment of organizations with various sizes, beliefs, and aims. In a thesis by Morgan, the writer explains that social entrepreneurship has a lasting and positive impact on communities, especially those in developing countries. Although Costa Rica has a better living standard than other countries near it, it still faces major development challenges in regards to schooling, living standards, and economic availability. Social entrepreneurship may provide, and to some extent has provided, a positive change in Costa Rica.

Social Entrepreneurship as a Sustainability Model

According to Morgan (2013), "Social entrepreneurship is one of the only models that has successfully initiated wide scale social development through promoting the economic independence and self-sustainability of the communities influenced by their initiatives." This framework offers Costa Rican organizations a viable pathway to create jobs while addressing environmental and social concerns simultaneously.

In the case of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, efforts to maintain sustainability in terms of water governance regimes revealed several problems with existing initiatives. Sustainability appraisals produce evidence for how well water governance regimes operate and where problems exist. According to Kuzdas, Wiek, Warner, Vignola, and Morataya (2014, p. 205), "This evidence is particularly relevant for regions that face water scarcity and conflicts." These appraisals become an important part of gauging the success of sustainability efforts and help determine whether an organization or group is performing the proper actions to produce successful sustainability.

Water Governance and Sustainability Appraisals

The Guanacaste appraisal highlighted a critical failure in coordination associated with the use, protection, and management of important groundwater resources. This failure was a consequence of inadequate leadership, which failed to identify collective objectives and construct alternative approaches to governing water within various groups. The appraisal yielded some positive impacts in the study area; however, Kuzdas et al. (2014, p. 205) note that "its application provided only limited strategic information to support broader problem-solving efforts. Insights from this study suggest key starting points for sustainable water governance in the Central American dry tropics."

Coffee production represents a means of economic sustainability in Costa Rica, generating jobs and promoting environmental conservation through better farming practices at local and national levels. Castro-Tanzi, Dietsch, Urena, Vindas, and Chandler (2012) examine how coffee production in the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica may improve through modified agricultural practices. The researchers suggest that reducing nitrogen-rich fertilizer use is essential: "We suggest that the N saturation hypothesis developed for temperate forests under N atmospheric deposition is applicable to this perennial agroecosystem. This hypothesis predicts changes in the soil chemistry and nutrient retention capacity, and a reduction of Net Primary Productivity (NPP)" (Castro-Tanzi et al., 2012, p. 172).

Improving Agricultural Sustainability in Coffee Production

Coffee production continues to be economically vital to Costa Rica. Farmers in South America, seeking higher profits, often use cheap and chemically intensive fertilizers. However, these practices do more harm than good in the long term, degrading soil quality and harming ecosystems. Moving toward sustainable farming practices protects both the environment and long-term agricultural viability.

In their work "Community-Based Conservation as Grassroots Sustainability Enterprise? Sea Turtle Harvesting in Ostinonal, Costa Rica," Davies and Leonard (2012) discuss sea turtle conservation and the need for countries to adhere to standards that conserve sea turtle populations. Costa Rica, recognized as a "green republic," is trying to conserve sea turtle populations within its borders. However, in order to sustain such an endeavor, the organization must interact with three national institutions. According to Davies and Leonard (2012, p. 149), "In terms of governance, three national institutions—the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Institute of Marine Fisheries and the Association for Rural Economic Development—retain responsibilities for various aspects of the project."

Identifying the Gap in Literature

This reality underscores a critical gap in the literature. In order to identify whether Costa Rica can remain self-sustainable or become more self-sustainable, it is important to recognize the kind of missing information regarding the government structure and the way organizations—especially those attempting to create jobs and/or conserve the environment—are run. Who oversees them? How do they coordinate? What legal frameworks support their work?

The legal framework fundamental to such projects remains arguably one of the most significant sustainability aspects, appreciated by the Costa Rican community as a viable source of stability when external or internal "interests" threaten a project. Looking into this area of research will provide a better indicator of what makes Costa Rica self-sustainable and how the country creates jobs. The multiple organizations existing within Costa Rica respond to and adhere to certain laws and legislation. Understanding this institutional landscape will decrease the gap within the literature concerning such issues.

Conclusion

The literature review highlighted several ways in which Costa Rica is attempting self-sustainability through coffee production, water conservation, and social entrepreneurship. However, organizations and efforts need to be improved upon. Tools like sustainability appraisals and a better understanding of the legislative and leadership structure of Costa Rica will yield positive outcomes for sustainability efforts. Communication at times lacks within these Costa Rican organizations promoting and implementing self-sustainability, and it is important to evaluate such efforts and find ways to improve upon them. Costa Rica is a beautiful country, and progress has been made in terms of environmental conservation and job creation. Still, progress can come easier and faster if additional efforts are made to clarify institutional frameworks and enhance coordination among governmental bodies and civil society organizations.