The initiative will encourage production of beans, rice, and white corn, which are basic to the Costa Rican diet. The idea is to blunt the effects of a possible worldwide food shortage, which has been predicted by some international organizations.
Agriculture Minister Javier Flores said part of the funds will be used to invest in infrastructure to transport food products, and part to support small and medium-sized producers

Source: Invertia

More on this topic

Latinoamerican and Caribbean agriculture forecast

October 2011

The Outlook for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Americas: A perspective on Latin America and the Caribbean 2011-2012.

ECLAC, FAO and IICA press release:

San Jose, Costa Rica, October 21 (ECLAC/FAO/IICA). Despite the current context of volatility and high food prices, in the long term, the agricultural sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) will be able to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by having available land - albeit concentrated in a few countries- a relative abundance of water, biodiversity and well-educated human resources.

Guatemala: Agrarian decree contravenes the Constitution

June 2008

The president of the Center for the Defense of the Constitution, Mario Fuentes Destarac, says he believes the Law to Encourage Production of Basic Grains contravenes the nation's Constitution.

The Government wants to use this law, issued as decree 40-74, to force landowners with more than 100 hectares to seed at least 10 per cent of their land to basic grains.

Government seeks to stimulate production of basic grains in Costa Rica

April 2008

Costa Rica's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) will present a strategic plan to boost grain production in the country in the face of the world food crisis.

The MAG proposal that will be presented Wednesday seeks to stimulate basic production of corn, rice and beans, which had been falling since the 1980s. Statistics suggest that Costa Rica produces just half of the rice that it consumes and one-quarter of its beans.

Central American emergency plan

April 2008

The Central American countries have defined strategies to confront the rise in prices and possible scarcity of food. In effect it's an emergency plan that will require an investment of about 560 million dollars. The plan and be concentrated on four products: rice, beans, corn and sorghum.

The Central American plan, aimed at encouraging production of basic grains, includes the creation of a regional network for seed production, joint importation of agriculture inputs, an increase in areas under cultivation, improvements in productivity, and financing for producers.