The global banana industry in Costa Rica is facing changes in weather and constant fungal pressure, which recently led to a decrease in annual export volume and highlighted global production risks.
Journalists from Food For Mzansi participated in the IFAJ Exposure-4-Development press tour in Costa Rica from October 18 to 26, 2026. This program was designed to give journalists direct insight into global farming systems, climate challenges, and research achievements. During the tour, the country's agricultural sector, farming methods, and advanced innovations were studied.
As a tropical country operating in two different seasons—dry and rainy—Costa Rica has long been a major fruit producer globally. To protect crops from increasing heat, heavy rains, and black sigatoka disease, the Central American country is implementing an adaptation strategy based on gene editing, biological soil control, and drone monitoring, providing valuable practical lessons for South African farmers.
The first part of the tour took place at the Earth University, a private institution located on a vast area that was formerly a commercial banana plantation acquired in the late 1980s with financial support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Today, this operation continues to provide commercial banana production but faces growing environmental pressure as fields are increasingly affected by global climate shifts.
Adrian Jimenez Suniga explained that heavy rainfall creates drainage problems in the fields. He noted: 'There is more rain, and heavy downpours create many puddles that sometimes overflow and become too burdensome for the plant and roots. This also causes deficiency.' Suniga emphasized that waterlogged and moist conditions promote the development of fungi such as black sigatoka (also known as black leaf stripe, a destructive fungal disease of banana leaves), making the protection of plant physiology and root health extremely important.
The impact of climate stress often depends on local microclimates and the presence of surrounding forest cover. Fernando Arce Argredas, who has worked on the university farm for five years, observed that location plays a significant role in how crops cope. He stated: 'The situation varies greatly because in some regions there are fewer forests, so they suffer less from climate change and excessive rain. But where they exist, they suffer because the plants are damaged.'
Yecis Miranda, a university farm worker for four years, shared that while fruit harvesting is manageable, crop protection requires constant effort. She said: 'Putting bags on the fruits is hard work.'
For short-term control of fungal outbreaks, farm managers apply targeted spraying while also studying sustainable packaging, such as eco-friendly corn-based plastic. However, long-term sustainability depends on plant breeding and modern technologies. Suniga pointed out that introducing wild, resistant varieties like Cavendish is difficult because commercial bananas do not produce seeds. To overcome this obstacle, research companies from the UK are turning to gene editing to develop resistant traits.
Strengthening these biosecurity and adaptation efforts at the field level, the delegation visited the Costa Rican National Banana Corporation (Corbana). As a non-governmental public entity, Corbana provides technical assistance, laboratory services, and scientific research to strengthen national production.
Data provided by Corbana during the visit revealed the recent impact of climate. Total precipitation of 1500 mm recorded in just three months at the end of 2024 contributed to an 11% drop in exports in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024. Consequently, total exports in 2025 reached 110.4 million boxes compared to 125.7 million in 2024.
To build long-term sustainability, Corbana focuses its scientific efforts in five key areas: plant protection (controlling black sigatoka and insect pests through integrated fungicide programs, alternative biorational products, citronella, and forecasting tools); molecular biology and physiology (studying the genetic diversity of Mycosphaerella fijiensis (P. fijiensis) and developing Cavendish-type hybrids resistant to both black sigatoka and late blight (Foc R4T)); biological control (using beneficial soil microorganisms, particularly Bacillus and Trichoderma, to suppress soil-borne diseases and improve soil health); soil health and precision technology (improving root health, fertilizer efficiency, and foliar nutrition during climate stress, as well as using drone monitoring to detect black sigatoka before critical stages).
Since South African banana producers face their own changing climatic conditions, the combination of practical field management, biological research, and strict biosecurity presented by Costa Rica offers a clear roadmap for protecting future harvests.
