Tour of enterprises supported by Activa-CATIE highlights progress of seed capital in rural territories

• Initiatives dedicated to organic coffee, vegetables and fruits, sustainable livestock production, and bioinputs opened their doors on March 26 and 27 to showcase their progress.

Entrepreneurships incubated by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Laboratory: Activa of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) and beneficiaries of seed capital resources provided by the Development Banking System (SBD), received a visit from a delegation of both institutions with the objective of verifying in the field the progress achieved and the proper execution of the allocated resources, as part of the process of strengthening the rural entrepreneurial sector in Costa Rica.

“Among the objectives of the tour was to verify the purchasing processes and investments made with SBD resources, as well as the support provided by Activa-CATIE. In addition, we sought to learn directly from the entrepreneurs about the significant changes and improvements in their productive processes and business models,” explained Vladimir Valera, coordinator of Activa-CATIE.  

The tour took place specifically in the territories of Zamora, Poás, Poasito and Naranjo, in the province of Alajuela, areas characterized by their agricultural vocation and productive dynamics linked to agroindustry and primary production.

During the visit, a total of eight enterprises representative of rural innovation and sustainability in the region were visited. For example, in Zamora, the delegation learned about the experiences of Ganadería RyA and Chibuzú. In Poás, visits were made to Finca Lora and Agroesquivel. El Toledo - Hortalizas BIO, located in San Juan Norte of San Pedro de Poás, and Café Rualdo, in Santa Rosa of San Rafael, were also visited.

In the locality of Poasito, the facilities of Lombritec, specialized in the production of bioinputs, were toured, while in San Jerónimo de Naranjo, Café Dos Robles, an enterprise linked to value-added coffee production, was visited.

“The enterprises visited reflect a productive diversity aligned with approaches to sustainability, value-added generation, and rural innovation within the framework of Activa-CATIE’s work,” noted Vinicio Vargas, business development manager at Activa-CATIE.

Validation and follow-up in the territory

During the second day of the tour, the Activa-CATIE team, together with Johana Rodríguez, innovation and entrepreneurship manager at SBD, visited four of the eight enterprises selected within the framework of compliance with the Agreement for the Custody, Administration and Channeling of Seed Capital Resources from the National Development Fund (FONADE) between SBD and CATIE, as well as the Accreditation and Monitoring Model for Operating Agencies.

“In all the projects we were able to verify how each of the enterprises is organized, the difficulties they face, and their evolution process. We also observed how, through the support provided by Activa-CATIE, they have developed their projects or achieved the objectives they had already planned,” Rodríguez stated.

According to Luis Daniel Rojas and Vinicio Vargas, technical and administrative staff from Activa-CATIE who participated in the tour, the visit had both an operational and strategic focus, which made it possible to verify in the field the proper use of the resources channeled through SBD, as well as to observe firsthand the progress achieved by the supported enterprises.

The tour also facilitated the collection of key inputs to strengthen future processes of implementation, monitoring, and design of support instruments, while reaffirming the coordination between Activa-CATIE and SBD in favor of the national entrepreneurial ecosystem. According to the participants, these types of spaces make it possible not only to verify results but also to identify opportunities for improvement and continue promoting efficient, transparent management oriented toward the development of rural territories.

These actions reaffirm the commitment of Activa-CATIE and SBD to strengthening rural entrepreneurship and the sustainable development of Costa Rica.