SFS Costa Rica: Biodiversity and Sustainable Food Systems

In Costa Rica, the relationships between food systems, ecology, and conservation are heavily integrated into the country’s long-term strategy for sustainability. Spend your summer studying two of the world’s most popular crops, coffee and chocolate, as case studies for how these relationships have the potential to restore biodiversity and combat climate change. Learn about the sociocultural histories of coffee and cacao, from indigenous peoples’ usage to modern production and exports, and see how others can follow Costa Rica’s example of sustainability. SFS students live and study at the Center for Sustainable Development Studies. The center is an active organic farm overlooking the vibrant Central Valley, where green is the predominant color as far as the eye can see. Dorms and classroom...