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Special Report: The Price of Paradise
Costa Rica is a global model for nature-based tourism, thanks to bold policies that reforested a quarter of the country and prioritized conservation. But now, mass tourism and foreign investment have begun to raise questions about whether outsiders are loving Costa Rica too much – and whether too many local people have been left behind.

Part Two: Farmers Forgotten?

As ecotourism booms, Costa Rica struggles to reconcile this modern industry with traditional agriculture.
Third-generation farmer Gabriel Carvajal looks out past his 10 acres of land by the Sarapiquí River on Sunday, March 16, 2025.
Kat Tran/WUFT News
Farmers forgotten?
Luena Rodriguez-Feo Vileira
Those remaining in the agricultural sector contend with a waning relevance, not because food production has become any less necessary but because the national economy bows to a new king: ecotourism.
A bird’s-eye view of María Luz Jiménez’s two hectares of heart of palm. The land is roughly the size of 3.74 football fields. (Alex Land/WUFT News)
Roots of resilience
Alex Land
Pineapples and purpose
Kimberly Blum