Citrus in Costa Rica and Belize

As Central American farmers look to diversify their crops, oranges are becoming an increasingly popular option. While poorly managed citrus farms can have devastating environmental impacts, displacing forest, polluting streams and creating agrochemical runoff, the Rainforest Alliance has demonstrated that properly managed citrus farms can be good neighbors to conservation areas, sheltering wildlife and protecting streams.
We have developed a set of guidelines for environmentally and socially responsible orange production and certified a 7,000-acre farm in Costa Rica adjacent to a rare, dry tropical forest in northwest Costa Rica called the Guanacaste Conservation Area. The low-impact farm demonstrates that agriculture can be a good neighbor to parks and reserves.
Given the magnitude of the citrus industry’s significant expansion over the last decade, which in Belize alone grew faster than any other agriculture sector, sustainable production methods offer a promising solution to some of the worst environmental problems associated with the industry. These include contaminated drinking water and agricultural runoff, which has increased sedimentation and contributed to the deterioration of the offshore Mesoamerican Barrier reef.