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Innova-Verde Call for Proposals awarded 300,000 Euros Among 23 Innovative Livestock Production Projects in Costa Rica

• These are non-reimbursable funds granted by the European Union and the German Government for the implementation of the 23 projects
• Among the 23 winning projects, 14 are led by women from various regions of the country
• The winning ideas cover projects related to regenerative livestock farming, rational grazing, water harvesting, the Internet of Things, and waste management in different regions of Costa Rica

 

A group of 23 innovative proposals from the livestock sector are ready to contribute to Costa Rica's decarbonization goals through the INNOVA-VERDE Call for Proposals, as part of the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program.

TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program.

On October 1st, the INNOVA-VERDE Call for Proposals award ceremony was held, distributing 300,000 euros among the winning projects. These are non-reimbursable funds for implementing their ideas and projects, thanks to financing from the European Union and the German Government, through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The Call for Proposals —led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), coordinated by German Development Cooperation (GIZ), and executed by Fundecooperación— received 205 project proposals in total. These were evaluated based on criteria such as greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, scalability and replication potential, and innovation, among others.

Thus, the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program will promote the development of good livestock practices in the meat, dairy, and dual-purpose sub-sectors, aiming to mitigate, sequester, or reduce GHG emissions.

"We celebrate the distribution of these resources among producers committed to sustainability and mitigating the environmental impact of their activities to expand sustainable production areas through innovation and new technologies. These resources also support the expansion of NAMA Livestock farms; we already have more than 2,800 farms in this program and hope to continue adding more," explained Fernando Vargas Pérez, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock.

Additionally, this Program seeks to promote replicable and scalable projects while supporting the agricultural sector in adopting European Union Green Deal standards.

"This initiative is deeply aligned with the European Green Deal commitments, promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation through a greener and more sustainable economy. The European Union continues to work closely with Costa Rica to advance its transition to low-emission, climate-resilient agricultural production systems. Together, we are building a path toward a fairer, greener, and more equitable world," stated Pierre-Louis Lempereur, Ambassador of the European Union.

 

Winning Projects with a Gender and Youth Perspective

The winning proposals include projects related to regenerative livestock farming, rational grazing, water harvesting, the Internet of Things, and waste management in different regions of Costa Rica. Additionally, the INNOVA-VERDE selection committee applied gender parity and age representation criteria, ensuring 14 out of 23 winning projects are led by women.

The results of the INNOVA-VERDE Call for Proposals align with the German Government’s objectives. According to Alexandra Herr, Counselor at the German Embassy in Costa Rica, "Through the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program, we aim to provide concrete support to vulnerable communities and rural populations so they can adapt to climate change challenges and adopt more resilient, low-carbon production systems."

"For the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program, this Call for Proposals is a key component, as it provides us with 23 innovative livestock production ideas with replication and scalability potential, aligned with Costa Rica’s National Decarbonization Plan and NAMA Livestock. Moving forward, we will work with these projects to help them become model farms and share their experiences with more producers in Costa Rica," stated Alberto Vega, Director of the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program for GIZ.

 

About the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program

The INNOVA-VERDE Call for Proposals is implemented as part of the TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program, co-financed by the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), and the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The program is implemented by German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in collaboration with the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Conservation International (CI), Costa Rica - United States Foundation for Cooperation (CRUSA), Fundación Banco Ambiental (FUNBAM) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

 

Contacts

Karla Alfaro Rojas
Director of Institutional Communication Department
Ministry of Environment and Energy
kalfaro@minae.go.cr 
Tel: 2106-8545

 

Rosa Brenes
Head of Institutional Communication Unit
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG)
rbrenes@mag.go.cr
Tel: 2105-6100 Ext. 1323

 

Andrés Méndez Marenco
Communications and Visibility Advisor
TRANSFORMA-INNOVA Program
andres.mendezmarenco@giz.de 
Tel: 6186-3174

 

Ersilia Zúñiga Centeno
Director of Communication
Delegation of the European Union in Costa Rica
ersilia.zuniga-centeno@eeas.europa.eu  
Tel: 2583-2959 Ext. 109