Keeling Curve

Project Summary / Description:

Costa Rica has the goal of being carbon neutral by 2021 and in order to support this initiative Monteverde must be carbon negative before then, this because we have large amounts of forests. Costa Rica is also the country with the highest use of pesticides per square kilometer. 

Monteverde has been working for the last years in doing its emission count and has found out that the two main emissions in the area have to do with transportation and cattle (besides ecotourism, the second main activity is cheese production). Also, the 250 000 visitors we get a year (approximately) create an environmental impact we must help to compensate. 

Considering our challenges and that for any initiative to be truly sustainable we must take into account environmental, social and economical factors we began to do more studies on circular economical models and have tried create an innovative integrated approach to help reduce our emissions at the same time we promote healthier economical opportunities. 

Our plan: change sections of current cattle farmland into organic agriculture to sell to local restaurants and hotels, as well as offering healthier cheap produce to the locals, and this way reduce the amount of food we bring from elsewhere (less transportation). We also plan on reforesting with native edible fruit baring trees and we plan on building a center for added value where locals can come and innovate recipes and other plant uses that can be sold to tourism or locals (hence promoting a more horizontal economy).

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Mission Statement:

The Monteverde Institute (MVI) is an educational organization founded in 1986 in the Costa Rican cloud forest community of Monteverde. Our mission is to advance sustainable living by integrating academic programs, applied research, and community initiatives into dynamic programs. Students, staff, local and international experts, and community members interact to address challenges through participatory research, academic studies, solution design, innovation and implementation.

The institute‚ programs are based on the belief that in order to achieve sustainability‚Äîboth locally and globally‚Äîa combination of environmental, social, cultural, economic, and technological factors must be carefully considered. To that end, MVI fosters a synergistic approach that blends international study abroad, applied research and community engagement.

Its programs focus on sustainable development, ecotourism, Spanish language and culture, conservation biology, community health, land use planning, resource management and social justice.

In keeping with its vision "a sustainable community for a sustainable world", the Monteverde Institute considers its impact on the natural and social environment of Monteverde in every facet of its operations. We continually are reviewing current practices and pursuing options to reduce our carbon footprint and to benefit the local community.

The non-profit status of the Institute ensures that its foci are on producing exemplary academic content, giving back to the community through service learning, promoting original, applied research, and being a leader and model of responsible corporate stewardship in the local business community.

Link: Facebook:

http://www.monteverde-institute.org https://www.facebook.com/Monteverde.Institute/