Issue #5: Seeds of Change: Cultivating Sustainability in Machuca Valley by Cristiane Sampaio
From Industrial Food to Local Markets: A Tale of Transformation and Eco-Friendly Innovation
Today’s article comes from our neighbor Cristiane Sampaio whom you might know as the owner of EcoNuts as well as one of the key organizers of the Sunday’s farmer’s market known as Mercado de La Tierra. Consider this an introduction to what is probably the most important topic in the valley for the years and possibly generations to come: sustainability of our ecosystem and food production in particular. We start this series off with a macro-level overview and of course some local-level actions we all could be taking. In future issues we hope to dive deeper into specific sub-topics.
This submission was written in Spanish and as such we are starting with the original version, providing the English translation below.
Scroll down for English Version
HISTORIA SOBRE CÓMO LLEGAMOS AL VALLE MACHUCA por Cristiane Sampaio
Trabajé durante aproximadamente 20 años en la industria de la alimentación, nutrición, salud y bienestar animal, humano y agronegocios en general, principalmente enfocado en negocios, marketing, gestión de proyectos y, en los últimos años, en gestión de personas y formación de equipos multidisciplinarios y multiculturales.
Esta trayectoria en la industria me permitió conocer no solo sobre sistemas de producción de alimentos de origen vegetal y animal en todo el mundo, sino también sobre los desafios en el uso de recursos futuros relacionados con estos sistemas de producción, innovaciones y soluciones a nivel global. También abrió innumerables posibilidades a nivel multicultural en mi vida, de las cuales hace 15 años conocí aquí, en Costa Rica, a mi esposo y compañero de vida.
Pasamos casi 10 años en Brasil, ambos trabajando en el mercado, y hace unos 5 años regresamos a Costa Rica, después de dejar el mundo corporativo y tener una experiencia en familia en la Chapada dos Veadeiros en Brasil, un lugar increíble que es la cuna de las aguas, zona de recarga hídrica de gran importancia no solo para Brasil, sino también para otros países sudamericanos. A pesar de ser uno de los biomas más degradados del país, es el hogar de una inmensa biodiversidad de fauna y flora que aún resiste al crecimiento de la demanda desenfrenada de nuestro sistema por recursos.
En este lugar, fuimos introducidos a formas diferentes de relacionarnos con nosotros mismos, nuestra alimentación, nuestro entorno y con la Madre Tierra. Inspirados por esta hermosa experiencia y nuestro único hijo, con 2 años en ese momento, decidimos regresar al país natal de Ale con un propósito más holístico y decididos a ofrecer a Andrés una posibilidad diferente y alternativa de experiencia y educación. Toda esta trayectoria nos conectó con personas increíbles, como Catalina, Esteban e Indiara, quienes nos presentaron Casa Sulà.
Cuando regresamos a Costa Rica hace algunos años, con el propósito de promover un consumo consciente*, fundamos EcoNuts, un pequeño proyecto familiar donde buscamos mantener una cadena de suministro lo más agroecológica y local posible en la práctica de la congruencia entre lo que queremos promover y lo que realmente hacemos.
Como nuestro enfoque está en alimentar una cadena saludable y de pequeña escala, optamos por ofrecer nuestros productos solo a través de ferias alternativas, sin la intención de tener un crecimiento exponencial, respetando las limitaciones de nuestros recursos/insumos, los cuales son cada vez más limitados por los efectos del cambio climático en la cosecha de nueces y semillas que utilizamos.
Inspirados por el ambiente de ferias verdes y orgánicas, comenzamos a capacitarnos en sistemas agrícolas alternativos y agroecológicos (sin uso de químicos) como permacultura, agricultura sintrópica, biodinámica, regenerativa, forestería análoga, entre otras, que nos guiaron en una transición de carrera, la cual no solo nos llevó a adoptar un estilo de vida más simple y desapegado, sino también a dedicar nuestro tiempo y conocimiento en proyectos colectivos de impacto ambiental y socioeconómico que sean capaces de co-crear un futuro más sostenible para nuestro hijo y todas las generaciones venideras.
¡Pura Vida!
*Un consumo donde sea posible comprender el proceso y el sistema de suministro que se alimenta al comprar y/o consumir algo.
VALLE DE MACHUCA, COSTA RICA - UN PAÍS SUSTENTABLE DENTRO DEL CONTEXTO GLOBAL
En 2023, por indicación de la querida Sara Pedetta, tuve la oportunidad de participar del Diplomado en Educación para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Universidad para la Paz de Costa Rica, por el cual hago parte ahora del grupo de educadores para La Carta de La Tierra (Earth Charter) - https://earthcharter.org/ . Este proceso de aprendizaje me ha proporcionado una visión más amplia del contexto global de la insostenibilidad que vivimos como humanidad, así como conocer herramientas y alternativas hacia un futuro más sostenible a través de un guía de referencias éticas para este proceso.
Los que han trabajado en la industria alimentaria, ya deben haber escuchado que en un futuro cercano la situación mundial podría cambiar drásticamente. Desde el inicio de este milenio se investiga y alerta acerca de la reducción de suelos cultivables en el mundo y la reducción de agua dulce apropiada para uso, requisitos indispensables para la producción de alimentos.
El proceso de este sistema es tan lógico como la teoría de Malthus, que preveía un colapso ya que la población del planeta crece geométricamente, mientras que la producción de alimentos y recursos aritméticamente. En esa época, alrededor de 1800, Malthus no tenía idea que desarrollaríamos técnicas increíbles para producir alimentos a larga escala y resolver este problema. Sin embargo, seguramente él tampoco imaginaba que seríamos capaces de contaminar nuestra propia agua y suelo, degradándolos tan rápidamente al punto de perder su capacidad de regenerarse.
La era pós industrial fue el marco para el Antropoceno, nombre designado a la era donde nosotros, como humanidad, estamos en un proceso de generar impacto suficiente en las dinámicas e interacciones de GAIA, capaces de modificar la configuración de todos sus biomas.
En 2009, un grupo de cientificos integrantes del Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) identificaron nueve de los llamados “limites planetários” (“planetary boundaries”). Estos son los 9 procesos dentro de los cuales nuestro planeta puede mantenerse en equilibrio. Para cada uno, fueron definidos un margen de seguridad que, si ultrapasados, pueden generar cambios irreversibles que colocan en riesgo la existencia de la humanidad en la Tierra.
,-.•De los 9 limites planetários* que son indicadores para manutención del equilibrio de nuestro planeta, ya conseguimos ultrapasar 6, según informaciones de fuentes de monitoreo.
Actualmente, 10 tipos de cultivos fornecen 83% de las calorías de los alimentos cosechados a nivel global: Trigo, arroz, soya, maíz (grano), aceite de palma, caña de azúcar, cebada, sorgo, colza e yuca. Sin embargo, solo un 37% de estas cosechas son destinados a alimentación humana, el restante es para producción de alimento animal, biocombustibles, industria textil, de bebidas alcohólicas y farmacéutica. El dato más interesante, es que, aproximadamente un 70% de los cereales/granos producidos en el mundo se utilizan para alimentación animal. Si consideramos que la proporción necesaria para producir carne está entre 10-25/1, es decir, se necesitan entre 10 y 25 kilos de cereales para producir 1 kilo de carne, lo que ya si puede decir que la producción de proteína de origen animal en los sistemas convencionales de producción es insostenible.
Según un estudio realizado en 2012 sobre la previsión de la producción de alimentos en los próximos 30 años (2042), se espera que los precios de los alimentos aumenten tan rápidamente como se reduzca el suelo saludable y gran parte de esto se debe a nuestro actual sistema de producción de alimentos (monocultivos, pesticidas, arados y fertilizantes).
La utilización de agrotóxicos, fertilizantes y el impacto que estos tienen en nuestra salud y en la salud de nuestro planeta son reales y muy serios.
Los alimentos orgánicos pueden ser una excelente forma de evitar los agrotóxicos, pero eso no significa que sean sostenibles o que proporcionen alto valor biológico/nutricional, una vez que tenemos enormes áreas de monocultivos que tienen certificación orgánica.
Lo que proporciona a la planta los nutrientes necesarios que satisfacen nuestras necesidades como seres vivos es el equilibrio y las interacciones entre la diversidad de microorganismos existentes en el suelo y el agua en que la planta/cultivo se desarrolla.
Cualquier forma de monocultivo está constantemente absorbiendo, procesando y los mismos elementos en el suelo una y otra vez, lo que, gradualmente limita y elimina la biodiversidad de los microorganismos en él. Así como nuestro microbiota intestinal necesita de una cantidad diversa de interacciones entre distintos microorganismos y su equilibrio para fortalecer y mantener nuestro sistema inmune, el microbiota del suelo también requiere este equilibrio para nutrir cada célula que compone todo lo que vive en nuestro planeta, incluyendo nosotros.
Así siendo, los sistemas alternativos de producción agroecológica de alimentos (permacultura, agricultura sintrópica, forestería análoga, agricultura biodinámica, silvicultura, entre otros que se producen a pequeña escala, promoviendo la biodiversidad del suelo y el respeto al ecosistema en el que están insertos), siguen siendo las mejores opciones.
Puntos Relacionados a los 9 Limites Planetarios
Ya superamos la emisión de dióxido de CO2 en 410 ppm en la atmosfera.
Groenlandia pierde 10mil m3 por segundo de hielo y sigue incrementando cada vez más rápido su deshielo.
Ya superamos el calentamiento del clima en 1,1 grado, si llegamos a 1,5 grados, entramos en una zona de riesgo irreversible.
El incremento de temperatura, ya ha ocasionado la pérdida de más de 14% de los corales del planeta y esta cifra viene incrementando cada año.
Los bosques tropicales están siendo remplazados por áreas de producción agrícola y pecuaria, principalmente por pastos extensivo y amplios monocultivos de soya
La floresta amazónica normalmente tiene 3 meses de estación seca, desde 1980 viene incrementando gradualmente este periodo estacional. Si ultrapasa los 4 meses de estación seca, puede entrar en un proceso llamado sabanización, donde el suelo pierde su capacidad de regeneración y hay una transición del bosque tropical hacia la sabana.
La demanda por agua dulce viene incrementando año tras año y las cuencas de todo el mundo vienen reduciendo el volumen paralelamente.
La utilización de fertilizantes en exceso (N y P), están generando un proceso de eutrofización, que consiste en la contaminación del agua, acelerando su degradación a través de la perdida de oxigenación y de su biodiversidad, tornándola inapropiada para uso.
Our Journey to Sustainable Living by Cristiane Sampaio [English]
I worked for approximately 20 years in the food, nutrition, health and agribusiness industries, mainly focused on business, marketing, project management and, in recent years, in people management and team building. This career allowed me to learn not only about plant and animal food production systems around the world, but also about future resource challenges related to these production systems an innovative solutions at a global level. It also enriched my life with countless multicultural opportunities. Not the least of which was meeting my husband and life partner here in Costa Rica 15 years ago. We spent almost 10 years working in Brazil, where our family had an inspiring experience in the Chapada dos Veadeiros in Brazil. It is the birthplace of the waters, a water recharge area of great importance not only for Brazil but also for other South American countries. Despite being one of the most degraded biomes in the country, it is home to an immense biodiversity of fauna and flora that still resists the growth of our system's unbridled demand for resources.
In this incredible place, we were introduced to different ways of relating to ourselves, our food, our environment and Mother Earth. Inspired by this beautiful experience, we decided to return to Ale's native country with a more holistic purpose. We were determined to offer our then 2 year old son, Andrés, a different and alternative possibility of experience and education. This entire journey connected us with incredible people, like Catalina, Esteban and Indiara, who introduced us to Casa Sulà.
When we returned to Costa Rica five years ago, with the purpose of promoting conscious consumption*, we founded EcoNuts, a small family project where we seek to maintain a supply chain that is as agro-ecological and local as possible, practicing congruence between what we want to promote and what we really do.
As our focus is on feeding a healthy and small-scale chain, we chose to offer our products only through alternative fairs. We have no intention of exponential growth, and respect the limitations of our resources/inputs, which are increasingly impacted by the effects of climate change on the nut and seed harvest.
Inspired by the environment of green and organic fairs, we began training in alternative and ecological agricultural systems such as permaculture, syntropic agriculture, biodynamics, regenerative, analog forestry. These practices, among others, guided us in our career transition, leading us to adopt a simpler and more detached style of life, and also to dedicate our energy and knowledge to collective projects of environmental and socioeconomic impact that are capable of co-creating a more sustainable future for our son and all coming generations.
Pura Vida!
*A consumption where it is possible to understand the process and the supply system that is fed when buying and/or consuming something.
A Sustainable Country within the Global Context
In 2023, at the indication of the beloved Sara Pedeta, I had the opportunity to participate in the postgraduate program in Education for Sustainable Development at the University for Peace of Costa Rica, leading to my inclusion in the group of educators for The Earth Charter (Earth Charter) - https://earthcharter.org. This learning process has provided me with a broader vision of the global context of the unsustainability that we experience as humanity, as well as discovering tools and alternatives for a more sustainable future.
Those who have worked in the food industry are already aware that the world situation could change drastically in the near future. Since the beginning of this millennium, alerts have been raised regarding the reduction of arable soils and fresh water - essential requirements for food production.
The collapse of our planet’s ability to sustain life is not just a modern prediction. Even in the 1800s Malthus predicted this situation, based on the simple logic that the planet's population grows geometrically while the production of food and resources grow arithmetically. At that time, Malthus had no idea that we would develop incredible techniques to produce food on a large scale, resolving this basic math problem. However, he surely could not have imagined that we would be capable of contaminating our own water and soil, degrading them so quickly to the point of losing their ability to regenerate.
The modern geological age has been named Anthropocene in recognition that we, as humanity, are impacting the dynamics and interactions of our planet in profound ways, capable of modifying the configuration of all its biomes.
In 2009, a group of scientists from the Stockholm Resilience Center (SRC) identified nine so-called “planetary boundaries”. These are the 9 processes within which our planet can remain in balance. For each one, a safety margin was defined that, if exceeded, can generate irreversible changes that put the existence of humanity on Earth at risk. We have already surpassed 6.
For those who want more information, you can watch the documentary “Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet” by David Aenborough and scientist Johan Rockström
Currently, 10 types of crops provide 83% of the calories of food harvested globally: wheat, rice, soybeans, corn (grain), palm oil, sugar cane, barley, sorghum, rapeseed and cassava. However, only 37% of these crops are used for human consumption, the remainder is for the production of animal feed, biofuels, the textile industry, alcoholic beverages and pharmaceuticals. Approximately 70% of the cereals/grains produced in the world are used for animal feed. If we consider that between 10 and 25 kilos of cereals are needed to produce 1 kilo of meat, it is clear that the production of animal protein in conventional systems is unsustainable.
According to a 2012 study on forecasting food production over the next 30 years (2042), food prices are expected to rise rapidly as healthy soil is reduced. Much of this soil degradation is due to our current food production system (monocultures, fisheries, plows and fertilizers).
The impact of agro-toxics and fertilizers our health and the health of our planet are real and very serious.
Organic foods can be an excellent way to avoid pesticides, but that does not mean they are sustainable or that they provide high biological/nutritional value, since we have huge areas of monocultures that have organic certification.
What provides the plant with the necessary nutrients that satisfy our needs as living beings is the balance and interactions between the diversity of microorganisms existing in the soil and the water in which the plant/crop grows.
Any form of monoculture is constantly absorbing, processing and the same elements in the soil over and over again, which gradually limits and eliminates the biodiversity of the microorganisms in it. Just as our intestinal microbiota needs diverse interactions between different microorganisms and their balance to strengthen and maintain our immune system, the soil microbiota also requires this balance to nourish each cell that makes up everything that lives on our planet, including us.
Thus, alternative agro-ecological food production systems (permaculture, syntropic agriculture, analog forestry, biodynamic agriculture, forestry, among others that are produced on a small scale, promoting soil biodiversity and respect for the ecosystem in which they are inserted), are still the best options.
In a past context, perhaps this knowledge would not be as appreciated as in the moment we live in now, mainly in the country we are in.
Costa Rica has an area of 51,100 km2, and, despite its small territory, it is home to almost 6% of all the biodiversity on the planet. A country that, since 1948, has not had an army and dedicates its resources to the promotion of local education and the preservation of its forests.
Despite all this data that associates Costa Rica with a sustainable country, if we analyze the country within the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals - https://ods.cr), which are global agreements used as guides and sustainability indicators, we can conclude that this beautiful country still has areas for improvement and presents some challenges in the following SDGs, according to the report published in 2022.
SDG 1 - End poverty
SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth
SDG 10 - Reduction of inequalities
SDG 13 - Climate Action
SDG 16 - Peace, justice and solid institutions
SDG 17 - Alliances to achieve the proposed objectives
These are data from 2022 and, if we analyze the objectives mentioned above, it is possible to affirm that they are directly related to socioeconomic aspects that we experienced at a time after the pandemic, so there is a small possibility that this scenario may have improved slightly in the last year (2023), as the economy has experienced a rebound.
However, if we consider that this economic increase comes mainly from the injection of capital from foreign investments that come to the country with the intention, not only of tourism, but also of establishing a more solid life in the country, resulting in the purchase of areas, construction of residential and vacation homes, in addition to promoting the construction of infrastructure for local enterprises, we can also say that the effects they generate could represent a great challenge in the socioeconomic aspect, such as the issue of gentrification that is already being experienced in some places in Costa Rica.
The Role of Local Communities
Now, let's focus a little locally on the Machuca Valley, where we reside and it is the place we chose to live. Our beautiful valley is located in one of the most degraded basins in Costa Rica: the Jesús María River Basin, with an approximate area of 353 km2. Degradation comes mainly from poor management of soil and water resources, which causes a weakening of the soil's capacity to regenerate, resulting in erosion, contamination of soil and water with residues of fertilizers and agrochemicals, loss of biodiversity, among others. These actions that are already being practiced in the Basin, added to the demographic density that will increase significantly in the coming years, can bring us proportional challenges at the level of resource distribution. Here we must add the Alert from the CNE (CR National Emergency Commission) which in 2023 announced the start of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effect, which can unbalance the water supply throughout the country. (Attached document)
Our basin no longer has primary forest and its water recharge area, which we call the Middle and Upper Basin, is used mainly for coffee monocultures, generally in conventional production systems (use of fertilizers and agrochemicals), and much of it as pasture for livestock production in an extensive system (large areas of pure pasture).
The middle/lower part is dedicated to the production of fruits, among which are avocados, mangoes, melons and watermelons, also largely produced in conventional systems. All this production is normally sold at traditional farmer's fairs, markets and warehouses.
By mapping our watershed, it is possible to find small-scale productions that are diversified and agro-ecological. They generally come from family farming and cooperatives, where producers seek to differentiate their products, although due to the lack of adequate spaces for marketing, they end up selling them in a similar way to products produced in conventional systems.
As residents of the watershed in which we live, if we can somehow begin to encourage and promote this type of production through our consumption, generating a demand for products from sustainable productions, we can truly, on a deeper level, emulate a conscious and intentional transition towards forms of production that are more friendly to our environment.
When we talk about local socioeconomic development and understand which activities have the greatest impact in this aspect in our region, we can focus on co-creating mechanisms to encourage activities, actions and projects that promote local livelihoods towards more sustainable systems and regeneration of our basin. We will be able to generate an impact at all levels (environmental, social and economic) in a positive way, benefiting not only the regeneration and preservation of available resources, but also an integration with local communities at a social and cultural level.
These actions allow the exchange of experiences, creating a direct bridge not only between producers, but also more inclusively, between processors, small local family projects and consumers. By doing so, we will be contributing to local and, in many cases, circular economic growth capable of strengthening the development of our region in a more sustainable way. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to support collective and local projects like the Mercado de La Tierra.
In addition, this type of space also generates interaction between all levels of the community, which has been the scene of countless wonderful connections between people, children and families, in addition to promoting the exchange of experiences and knowledge through talks and exhibitions of topics relevant to everyone.
Being as local as possible and buying from small producers could strengthen our food sovereignty as a community, generate collective abundance and, from an economic, social and cultural aspect, significantly reduce inequalities at the local level.
Points related to the 9 Planetary Limits
We have exceeded the emission of CO2 dioxide by 410 ppm in the atmosphere.
Greenland loses 10 thousand m3 per second of ice and continues to increase its melting faster and faster.
We have exceeded climate warming by 1.1 degrees, if we reach 1.5 degrees, we enter an irreversible risk zone.
The increase in temperature has caused the loss of more than 14% of the planet's corals and this figure has been increasing every year.
Tropical forests are being replaced by areas of agricultural and livestock production, mainly by extensive pastures and large soybean monocultures.
The Amazon forest normally has 3 months of dry season, since 1980 it has been increasing gradually this seasonal period. If the dry season exceeds 4 months, it can enter a process called savannization, where the soil loses its capacity for regeneration and there is a transition from tropical forest to savanna.
The demand for fresh water has been increasing year after year and basins around the world are reducing the volume in parallel.
The use of fertilizers in excess (N and P), are generating a process of eutrophication, which consists of water contamination, accelerating its degradation through the loss of oxygenation and its biodiversity, making it inappropriate for use.
Source: Documentary “Breaking Boundaries: “The Science of Our Planet”
As a future resident of Ecovilla San Mateo, I am thrilled to learn through reading this piece that serious thought is being given to how our food choices affect the health of all around us. This is one of my driving passions.
I have spent the last 12 years working to develop a locally-based diet in Virginia, USA. One of my early inspirations was Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, in which she describes her family's year of eating only food from their Virginia county.
We haven't achieved 100% local, but I feel good about what we have done. I estimate that in terms of dollars spent, 38% is spent on locally grown food, leaving 62% spent on food we have no idea where it comes from. But, that doesn't account for all the food we've grown ourselves in our large garden. Each year, we grow a year's supply of garlic, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, flour corn for cornbread and hominy, cucumbers and green beans for pickles, and more than we can eat seasonally of lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and greens (chard, kale, spinach, collards, arugula, etc.) So I'm guessing we get around 70% of our food locally.
When we move to Costa Rica, we will be starting over in terms of understanding what a responsible locavore can eat there. I expect that our diet will change substantially. I'm grateful that others there are thinking about local, sustainable food sources. I look forward to learning from all of you.
This is a very important article to read, it resonates deeply with the reason I moved my family here and why I'm very invested in making the Machuca Valley a thriving regenerative farming community.
Don't be discouraged though. I personally think that we can make a change and move into a new relationship with the land and Nature 💚