Costa Rica was subject to nine IMF and World Bank structural adjustment programs (SAPs) between 1980 and 1989. As a result, there was a massive expansion of the banana industry and of heavily-subsidized cattle ranching. But the expansion took place at the cost of small-scale agriculture and of the country’s forest cover, which dropped from 50 percent in 1970 to 37 percent in 1987. Increasing banana production has also been destructive to the environment. Huge amounts of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have been used, which are washed into the rivers and end up in the sea, severely damaging coral reefs. Ninety percent of such reefs have been destroyed in some areas. The decreased ground cover has caused massive flooding, destroying roads, bridges and houses.
When I lived in Playa Cocles, this was painfully obvious. After a big rain, when several bridges were washed out, we had to wade long distances through the mud to get from one bus to the other. The silt was carried down the coast for miles, and the reef life almost disappeared. I lost my taste for commercial bananas.
Hello my name is Alex Zinos, I am a university student and I am leaving for costa rica in january to do a research project on the effects of structural adjustment there. I found your site and was intrigued and was wondering if you had any advice as far as content/sources. thank you
-alex
Posted by: Alex Zinos | December 07, 2007 at 01:08 PM