This farmer is saving the jungle by growing food in it
Alexander Retana grows around 22 different crops, in the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest. Image: REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
“My dream is to create a sustainable farm, this is my work.”
Alexander Retana is a farmer with a different kind of farm. His – where he grows around 22 different crops from bananas to cacao – is right among the trees of the Costa Rican rainforest.
It’s a big change from just a few years ago, when the area was just open rice fields. Initially, Retana grew trees for shade from the heat of the sun. But things soon expanded as he planted more trees, until he’d built a whole new ecosystem above his head.
The approach, known as agroforestry, brings together traditional agriculture and the cultivation of trees - allowing crops and forest to grow alongside each other.
The canopy of trees doesn’t just provide shade for the farmer, though. “The trees help other plants to survive better in the farm,” he explains. Restoring the jungle increases precipitation and helps retain more moisture in the soil, while wildlife help control pests.
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“We need to have crops and trees living together in the ecosystem,” Retana believes. “Agroforestry can exist everywhere in the tropical ecosystem around the world. This is one of the solutions to save the forest.”
Read more about the inspiring pioneers finding creative solutions to the climate crisis here: https://wef.ch/pioneersforourplanet
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