Costa Rica and Solidarismo

My next trip will be to Costa Rica during spring break for a Agronomy class on Costa Rican soils and crop production. When enrolling in the course, I only thought of the agricultural discoveries to behold. However, as my soils professor  the well respected Dr. Burras, described landing in San Jose, the natural landscapes around the farms we will visit and roads we will traveling, I realized we will also explore an ecosystem unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I could hardly contain my excitement as Dr. Burras was providing the detailed of our journey. I will mark the course of our journey on a more detailed map once I speak with Dr. Burras again.

Today begins my first research on Costa Rica for my presentation in my conversational Spanish class. Our class assignment is to describe the job climate in your profession of choice in a Spanish-speaking country. I will speak about farming in Costa Rica. The information I have gathered is a bit about the agricultural commodities and climate of Costa Rica.

With four meters of yearly average rainfall and balmy temperatures, Costa Rica has the idea climate for crop production. Thanks to a cool coastal breeze,  the midland temperatures of San Jose waiver around a balmy 22 degrees Celsius year round (72 degrees Fahrenheit). Humidity in this region is low, so temperatures are very comfortable for the inhabitants and tourists. In the highlands, moderate temperatures reach 13 degrees Celsius during the day, with much cooler temperatures at night. The lowlands are hot and humid, reaching a warm 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). The rainy season is the equivalent of winter for Costa Ricans and lasts from May to November. The dry-season is referred to as "el verano" or "summer" and occupies the remaining months. Vast differences in climate in relation to altitude allow the large range of biodiversity in Costa Rica.

Banana is the highest value crop grown in Costa Rica, almost doubling the profits from coffee exports in recent years. Sales of banana are mostly handled by multinational corporations, even if the crops are produced by small farmers. Banana workers benefit from the highest salaries in the agricultural sector, almost $15/day, $5 above the national minimum wage, and some of the best occupational benefits. Dole is largest producer of bananas for the US and Japan, and many of these bananas are grown in Costa Rica.

Most banana workers belong to Solidarismo, and Solidarismo is where things get controversial  This is a worker's organization with collective bargaining rights started by banana plantation owners in the 1980s. Employees invest part of their wages in schools, an onsite doctor, and busing to the plantations. In return, the employees investment is matched by the company. If one likens Solidarismo to a labor union, this relationship sounds too good to be true, and indeed there is one catch. The employees aren't allowed to strike. However, from internet forums I have been reading here, it seems that if strikes need to be organized, this is not done through Solidarismo. One of the readers on the web page listed above posted a excellent reminder to me for any traveler.

"Keep analyzing our culture from 5,000 miles away [instead] of being here a couple of months or years. We live here every day and we know what is good for us and what is not." -alberguer

We discuss avoiding assumptions about other cultures in my Global Resource Systems classes frequently, but it is another skill entirely to learn when I am forming assumptions subconsciously. From the information I can find on the internet, I cannot tell if the Costa Rican people are overall satisfied or dissatisfied with the Solidarismo system. It sounds like a topic the Costa Rican people may be divided upon, so I will attempt to be very polite when making inquiries  This said, one of my goals while abroad will be to ask the Costa Rican people about Solidarismo.

Welcome to the Filadelfia Plantation. Here we work as 210 workers in peace and harmony. Thanks to Solidarismo...

Coffee has also been a staple crop in Costa Rica since the 18th Century, so naturally, we will be touring a coffee plantation. In the 1820s, the government distributed free coffee plants and offered tax exemptions to coffee growers. This government promotion allowed small coffee growers to flourish alongside large producers. Costa Rican coffee is known for its high yield and high quality. Indeed, my graduate course instructors for my Costa Rican soils class instructed me to pack lightly in order to bring back as much coffee as possible. Challenge accepted. 

Sugar is also an important crop, but is usually consumed locally. Pineapple is grown all around the country and is a popular export. Our soils class plans to visit a pineapple plantation during our visit. I have yet to read much about dairy production in Costa Rica, but I would like to devote a more detailed blog post about my pre-departure research for the dairy farms. I hear Costa Rican ice cream is absolutely wonderful.

Next Friday, I plan to make a Costa Rican dish for our first IAAS potluck of the semester. I will be sure to provide a detailed account of what I learn by cooking my first Costa Rican dish.


Sources cited:

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Costa-Rica-AGRICULTURE.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/139528/Costa-Rica/40883/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing

http://www.costarica.net/features/culture.htm

http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/06/source-19-banana/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/makefruitfair/5223462390/sizes/l/in/photostream/es cited: