Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of IICA.
San José, 18 February 2026 (IICA). The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the CRUSA Foundation presented the progress and results of the project “From Turrialba to the Table,” an initiative aimed at strengthening the productive chain of the Turrialba Cheese with Denomination of Origin, the only cheese in Costa Rica and the rest of Central America with this distinction.
The project, which has been under implementation since 2024, seeks to enable the adoption of good production, business and environmental practices on farms and in milk and Turrialba Cheese processing plants that are certified or in the process of obtaining certification, with a view to improving productive management and market access.
The initiative works directly with 26 farms, eight dairy processing plants and local organizations in Santa Cruz de Turrialba (approximately 55 km east of San José) to promote the adoption of good production, business and environmental practices based on individualized assessments and improvement plans tailored to the reality of each productive unit.
From Turrialba to the Table has generated tangible results in strengthening the productive, environmental and organizational capacities of farms linked to Turrialba Cheese with Denomination of Origin. Through personalized improvement plans, 18 farms reached compliance levels equal to or greater than 80% and six exceeded the initially established targets, supported by an investment of more than 40 million colones (approximately USD 80,000) in productive infrastructure, environmental management and operational improvements.
Byron Salas, Executive Director of the CRUSA Foundation.
The initiative also advanced the traceability and sustainability of the local production system, with the identification and registration of 900 animals in the National Bovine Traceability System, the formal accreditation of local technicians before the National Animal Health Service (SENASA) and the geospatial mapping of more than 200 hectares devoted to livestock production, forestry use and complementary crops.
These efforts translated into improved land-use planning, the optimization of pastures on eight farms and strengthened conditions to access and maintain the Denomination of Origin, consolidating a production model with greater added value and long-term outlook.
This project places people and the origin of food at the forefront. For cheese producers, From Turrialba to the Table has become a key tool to strengthen their activity and provide it with long-term projection.
“I have been producing milk and cheese in Santa Cruz de Turrialba for more than 40 years. It is a family activity that began with my grandfather and that we continue to promote today with a view to ensuring its continuity and future”, said Óscar Gamboa, producer at Lácteos La Esperanza.
Gamboa noted that the initiative has generated concrete changes in his productive work. “The project helped us get organized, improve processes, comply with sanitary requirements and open opportunities to access better markets. Today we produce with higher quality and greater security to continue moving forward”.
Óscar Gamboa, producer at Lácteos La Esperanza dairy plant in Santa Cruz, Turrialba, Costa Rica.
Institutional support
The project’s results and lessons learned were presented during the event “Innovation, Sustainability and Agrifood Chains: The Turrialba Cheese with Denomination of Origin Model”, held at IICA Headquarters in Vásquez de Coronado, San José.
During the meeting, IICA and CRUSA authorities underscored the strategic value of the From Turrialba to the Table project as a territorial innovation model that strengthens the competitiveness, sustainability and recognition of Turrialba Cheese with Denomination of Origin.
IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim highlighted that “Turrialba and Santa Cruz, in Costa Rica, have special meaning for me, not only because I lived here for many years, but because they represent a benchmark in dairy production models that now incorporate added value, differentiation by origin and a clear vision of sustainability”.
Ibrahim added that the experience of Turrialba Cheese with Denomination of Origin has generated interest beyond the country. “In recent years we have brought visitors from several Caribbean countries to learn about this production model, because it offers valuable lessons that can be adapted and scaled to other territories”, he stated.
Byron Salas, Executive Director of the CRUSA Foundation, emphasized that Turrialba Cheese with Denomination of Origin is not only a traditional product, but also cultural heritage, local economy and a real opportunity for differentiation in increasingly demanding markets. “That is why this project places producers, their knowledge and their link to the territory at the center”, he stressed.
“This is not an isolated or assistance-based program. It is a comprehensive model that combines assessments and personalized improvement plans, ongoing technical support, business and associative strengthening, environmental management, innovation, market access and strategic communication. We are not talking only about training; we are talking about real changes in the way of producing, managing and marketing”, Salas emphasized.
The “From Turrialba to the Table” project has generated concrete results in strengthening the production, environment, and organization of farms linked to Turrialba Cheese with Protected Designation of Origin.
The meeting also brought together producers, representatives of chambers of commerce, cooperation agencies and technical staff from institutions linked to the sector to analyze the replicability of the model in other agrifood chains and regions of the country.
Through the From Turrialba to the Table project, IICA and CRUSA are promoting an intervention model aimed at strengthening the Turrialba Cheese with Denomination of Origin productive chain and generating lessons applicable to other agrifood chains.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
