Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Competitiveness

The Development Banking System and IICA undertake project to increase cocoa farm productivity and sustainability in Costa Rica

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

Drones are deployed to map the terrain and gather critical information, enabling producers to improve decision-making and to optimize the exploitation of their farms.

Dron cacao

San Jose, 28 July 2020 (IICA). – The Development Banking System (SBD) of Costa Rica and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) have embarked on a project that utilizes drones to collect detailed information on cocoa farms, to inform the preparation of plans to allow producers to be more profitable and to improve their standards of living.

The project will seek to facilitate decision-making by producers, assisting them to make more effective use of their land, for example, by introducing more sustainable agroforestry systems that  intercrop cocoa with other crops, and in so doing to provide sufficient income year-round, while protecting and increasing biodiversity.

To date more than 500 hectares have been mapped in the southern Caribbean region of the country and work is slated to begin in the Huetar Norte and Brunca regions in the coming weeks.

Miguel Arvelo, IICA Representative in Costa Rica, stressed that, “Today, more than ever, it is imperative that we progress toward Agriculture 4.0. We are working to support the countries and to equip them with technological tools, such as drones and other equipment, that will transform their rural areas and ensure that their investment will yield the greatest possible impact”.

High resolution maps generated by the drones will facilitate analysis of key aspects, such as topography, shade and the amount of plants and trees on the farms, as well as the protected areas. This information will be used to devise cultivation plans that are adapted to the conditions of the specific farms, in a bid to enhance productivity.

Georeferencing of the terrain will allow the institutions to recommend more efficient processing and logistics models to the producers, which will facilitate their access to  various stages in the chain, for example, processing, transportation and storage, all of which are critical to their productivity.

Kenneth Solano, a Specialist in the IICA Costa Rica Delegation pointed out that, “Right now we are concentrating on cocoa. However, this methodology is applicable to practically any crop and any place. I see this as an opportunity to begin to engage producers with technology and to promote science-based decision-making”.

More information:

Institutional Communication Division

comunicación.institucional@iica.int

 

 

Share

Related news​

São José, Costa Rica

March 4, 2025

IICA is launching the third edition of the Minecraft Education Challenge for Agriculture, aimed at young peopleand designed to promote food production in urban environments

The aim of the 2025 Minecraft Education Challenge is to find creative alternatives in the areas of vertical agriculture, the use of technology for food production in small spaces, agriculture on green roofs, flat roofs and balconies, hydroponics and aeroponics in urban environments, community agriculture, and sustainable urban gardens.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San Jose, Costa Rica

March 3, 2025

Tatiana Vargas Navarro, Costa Rican farmer, who took charge of her parents’ coffee farm and now exports to Japan, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Tatiana receberá o prêmio “Alma da Ruralidade”, que é parte de uma iniciativa do organismo especializado em desenvolvimento agropecuário e rural para dar visibilidade a homens e mulheres que deixam pegadas e fazem a diferença no campo do continente americano, essencial para a segurança alimentar e nutricional e a sustentabilidade ambiental do planeta.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

San José

February 28, 2025

Rosina Rodríguez, an apple grower, whose farm “belongs to Uruguay and the upcoming generations” is named an IICA Leader of Rurality of the Americas

Thanks to this IICA accolade, Rosina will receive the “Soul of Rurality” award, as part of an initiative by the specialized organization for agricultural development and rural well-being in the Americas to shine the spotlight on men and women who are leaving their mark and making a difference in the rural areas of the hemisphere, given their essential role as providers of  food and nutritional security, who are also ensuring production and environmental sustainability.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins