2025 is here and with it the sustainability report! Today we want to show you some actions that lead us towards a more sustainable sugarcane sector and a more prosperous Costa Rica.
LAICA has a sustainability model that is composed of two dimensions: the internal one that focuses on LAICA as a private company and the sectoral one that impacts our entire production chain (producers and mills).
In our sectoral dimension, we have a sectoral sustainability protocol, a document that identifies the impacts of the sector through a material analysis, with the participation of key industrial and agricultural stakeholders. This document establishes a roadmap that involves joint actions for sustainable sugar production in Costa Rica.
Since 2023, the Sugarcane Sector of Costa Rica has been working continuously with the support of the CERALC Project, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), thus reaffirming our commitment and advancing in the implementation of the Due Diligence in Human Rights, a tool that allows us to strengthen our efforts in the social axis of sustainability.
In 2024 we made great strides with our strengthening program for agricultural SMEs: Cultivating the Future. We have managed to reach one more region, Turrialba – Juan Viñas, and the CATSA, Taboga and Cutris mills have joined this implementation.
Thanks to the commitment of an entire sector that continues to reap progress achieving training on issues of sustainability, good agricultural practices, technology and more.
LAICA, through different programs, initiatives and projects, promotes the development, empowerment and equality of women in the sugar cane sector of Costa Rica.
For this reason, various actions are being carried out in the area of gender equity, aligned with the results obtained from the First National Meeting of Women Sugarcane Growers of Costa Rica, held within the framework of the Cultivating the Future Program, under its Gender Equity work axis.
As part of our efforts we created the Costa Rican Women’s Sugarcane Growers Network, a communication bridge between LAICA and the women sugarcane growers distributed throughout our 6 sugarcane growing regions.
Finally, we have our environmental programs designed to contribute positively to the environment by focusing on working the land with good sustainable practices.
In September 2023, we officially launched the world’s first Sugarcane NAMA, registered with the United Nations (UN). This project is a public-private partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the Sugarcane Industrial Agricultural League (LAICA). Its main objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without compromising the productivity of the agricultural link, in line with the country’s environmental commitments.
In addition, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has participated as a cooperating partner.
Sugarcane Research and Extension Department for technical assistance to producers (DIECA).
- We have developed and transferred new production technologies to support farm production management.
- We have generated new highly productive sugarcane varieties adapted to the different sugarcane growing regions of the country.
- We consolidated the Improved Basic Seed program to establish high quality seedbeds.
- We achieved broad coverage with entomopathogenic and parasitoid fungi, which avoided the use of chemically synthesized insecticides.
- We optimized molecular tools for the early and accurate diagnosis of the main phytopathological agents for the characterization of sugarcane varieties.
- We continued with the development of new bioinputs based on beneficial microorganisms with biostimulant effects, allowing us to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers.
In the meantime, we hope you have learned a little more about our efforts, achievements and future goals, and that you will join us in this harvest of progress and history!