Costa Rica’s world-renowned banana industry is navigating weather shifts and persistent fungal pressure, which recently squeezed annual export volumes and highlighted global production risks.
Food For Mzansi joined agricultural journalists from around the world to participate in the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) Exposure-4-Development press tour in Costa Rica from 18 to 26 October 2026.
Designed to give journalists direct insight into global farming systems, climate challenges, and research developments, the programme explored the country’s agricultural sector, farming practices, and cutting-edge innovations firsthand.
Operating across two distinct seasons – a dry period and a rainy season – this tropical country has long been a powerhouse in global fruit production.
To safeguard harvests against increasing heat, heavy rainfall, and black sigatoka, the Central American nation is pioneering an adaptation strategy centred on gene editing, biological soil controls, and drone surveillance offering crucial field lessons for South African growers.
Related stories
- IFAJ Congress highlights women driving agri-change in Kenya
- Behind the agri headlines with IFAJ’S Steve Werblow
- Swiss farm brings sustainability and transparency to beef sales
- Reality check: What SA agri interns really experience on the farm
Environmental impact of climate shifts
The tour’s opening leg visited Earth University, a private institution set on a massive tract of land, formerly a commercial banana plantation acquired in the late 1980s with the financial backing of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Today, the operation continues to manage commercial banana production while facing growing environmental pressure, with its fields increasingly exposed to global climate shifts.
Adrian Jiménez Zúñiga explained that intense downpours create drainage problems in the field.
“There is more rain and strong showers that create a lot of ponds, which sometimes overflow and become too much for the plant and roots. It causes deficiencies as well,” Zúñiga said.
Zúñiga noted that these waterlogged, humid conditions favour fungal development, such as black sigotoka (also known as black leaf streak, a destructive fungal leaf-spot disease affecting bananas), making it increasingly vital to protect crop physiology and root health.
Field management: Crop protection and plant breeding
The impact of climate stress often depends on local microclimates and surrounding forest cover.
Fernando Arce Argredas, who has worked on the university farm for five years, noted that location plays a big role in how crops fare.
“It varies a lot, as different regions have fewer forests, so they are not as affected by climate change and excessive rains. But those that do have them are affected as plants get damaged,” Argredas said.
Ycsis Miranda, a farmworker at the university for four years, shared that while harvesting fruit is manageable, protecting the crop requires steady effort.
“Putting bags on the fruits is hard work,” Miranda said.
To manage fungal outbreaks in the short term, farm managers apply targeted sprays while exploring sustainable packaging, such as eco-friendly plastics made from corn.
However, long-term sustainability hinges on plant breeding and modern technology. Zúñiga pointed out that introducing wild, resistant varieties like Scavange is difficult because commercial bananas do not produce seeds. To bypass this, UK-based research companies are turning to gene editing to develop resistant traits.
Corbana’s research roadmap for sector resilience
Reinforcing these field-level biosecurity and adaptation efforts, the delegation visited the National Banana Corporation of Costa Rica (Corbana). As a non-state public entity, Corbana delivers technical assistance, laboratory services, and scientific research to strengthen national production.
Data shared by Corbana during the visit revealed recent climate impacts. A total of 1 500mm of rainfall recorded over just three months at the end of 2024 contributed to an 11% drop in first-half 2025 exports compared to 2024. Consequently, total exported volume reached 110.4 million boxes in 2025, compared to 125.7 million in 2024.
To build long-term resilience, Corbana is focusing its scientific efforts across five key areas:
- Plant protection: Controlling Black Sigatoka and insect pests through integrated fungicide programmes, alternative biorational products, citronella, and forecasting tools.
- Molecular biology and physiology: Studying the genetic diversity of Mycosphaerella fijiensis (P. fijiensis) and breeding Cavendish-type hybrids resistant to both Black Sigatoka and Fusarium wilt (Foc R4T).
- Biological control: Using beneficial soil microorganisms, specifically Bacillus and Trichoderma to suppress soil-borne diseases and improve soil health.
- Soil health and precision tech: Enhancing root health, fertiliser efficiency, and foliar nutrition during climate stress, while deploying drone surveillance to catch Black Sigatoka before it reaches critical stages.
As South African banana growers face their own shifting climate patterns, Costa Rica’s combination of practical field management, biological research, and strict biosecurity provides a clear roadmap for protecting future harvests.
READ MORE: Reluctant farmer scales EC cabbage enterprise to supply Spar
