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🇳🇮 Nicaragua /Economy & Trade

Sowing on Foreign Soil: The Story of Nicaragua's Farmers Cultivating Rented Land in Costa Rica

From Confidencial · (8m ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Nicaraguan and Costa Rican farmers are cultivating crops on rented land in Costa Rica, contributing to the local food supply.
  • These farmers, organized as the "Tierra Prometida" cooperative, have been renting plots for nearly two decades, facing challenges with short-term contracts and financing.
  • They aspire to own the land they cultivate and are seeking assistance from the Rural Development Institute (INDER) to access their own plots.

Confidencial sheds light on the persistent struggles and resilience of Nicaraguan and Costa Rican farmers who, despite their vital role in supplying food to Costa Rican families, do not own the land they cultivate. In Santa Cecilia de La Cruz, Guanacaste, the "Tierra Prometida" cooperative exemplifies this reality, with 25 farmers renting plots every six months to grow essential crops like corn, beans, and yucca.

Ponen alimentos en la mesa de miles de familias costarricenses, pero no son dueños de la tierra que cultivan.

— ConfidencialIntroducing the core challenge faced by the farmers.

Unlike many Nicaraguan migrants who find work in domestic services or construction, this group has organized to continue their ancestral farming trade. Their situation is precarious: they finance their own rentals, seeds, and fertilizers without access to bank credits, all while facing the constant uncertainty of six-month lease agreements and the ever-present threat of climate-related crop destruction. This is not merely an economic struggle; it is a fight for dignity and the continuation of a way of life.

Sin acceso a créditos bancarios ni posibilidad de comprar terrenos propios, cada temporada deben financiar de su bolsillo el alquiler de parcelas, semillas, herbicidas y fertilizantes, enfrentando además la incertidumbre de contratos que vencen cada seis meses.

— ConfidencialDescribing the financial and contractual difficulties the farmers endure.

For nearly two decades, since 2006, the cooperative has legally operated with a clear objective: to gain access to land ownership through the Instituto de Desarrollo Rural (INDER), not as a handout, but as a purchasable asset. Their continued reliance on rented land, despite their deep roots and contributions to Costa Rican agriculture, underscores a systemic issue. Confidencial emphasizes that these are individuals who have built lives, raised families, and established a deep connection to the land they work, viewing agriculture not as a fallback but as a fundamental part of their identity. Their story is a powerful reminder of the human element behind the food on our tables and the ongoing challenges faced by agricultural communities striving for security and self-sufficiency.

Una planta de frijol crece en el campo de los terrenos que alquilan los campesinos nicas.

— ConfidencialIllustrating the agricultural activity on the rented land.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Confidencial in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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