FEC

“World’s Happiest Country” with Stable Economic Growth

—– Costa Rica is known as one of the most politically stable countries in Central and South America. How has Costa Rica achieved the political stability and democratization?

Costa Rica, the oldest democratic country in Latin America, began its new era in 1949 when a new constitution was adopted. After the standing army was abolished by the constitution, there has been no political instability, and a solid democracy is maintained. The budget previously used for the military now goes to education and healthcare, which has made us a stronger country and a stronger democracy. We have been using legal solutions to any issues with neighboring countries as well. The public environmental awareness has increased, and the credit rating of Costa Rica as an advanced country has improved in many areas such as foreign trade and human rights.

—– By the Happy Planet Index 2016, Costa Rica was named the mostenvironmentally advanced and happy country on earth.

The happiness index is directly linked to living in harmony with rich natural resources. In Costa Rica, which has the uniquely diverse natural environment, more than 30% of the land including national parks and private areas are protected by the environmental laws that, for example, prohibit deforestation. Costa Rica is known as a green country where ecotourism has grown. You can see a rare bird called quetzal there. We have more than 120 volcanoes in the narrow country, and hot spring rivers are popular. Costa Rica promotes renewable energy, and 99% of its electricity comes from sources including water, solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass. We plan to increase the share of electricity from renewable energy sources to 100% by 2019, and to become a carbon-free country by 2085.

—– What are the factors of strong and stable economic growth in recent years?

Thirty years ago, Costa Rica’s economy turned from dependence on agricultural products such as coffee and bananas to an emphasis on high-tech export industries. The agricultural products have also become more diverse, including pineapples and melons. Nowadays, we export more than 4500 different products to the world, and the main industrial exports are medical devices. And in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Kyushu Institute of Technology, we are currently developing Central America’s first picosatellite made in Costa Rica. Many foreign enterprises began their activities in our country and are contributing to our economic growth. Among the “Fortune 100 companies”, 24% of them have successfully established their operations in Costa Rica. There are over 300 high-tech companies, and the financial and other types of service industries are growing. Tourism is another important industry.

—– How do you see the recent development of Costa Rica-Japan relations? What are your current challenges as the Ambassador to Japan?

For many years, the two countries have been building a strong friendship. Japan is our important partner in many areas of economic cooperation including power plant construction, and we are very grateful for that. My task is to expand and diversify the bilateral trade. This year, we began exporting melons to Japan, and are making efforts to increase the export of high-tech products. We plan to open a trade promotion office in the important Japanese market. In addition, we are trying to attract the interest of Japanese tourists mainly in our ecotourism. I also visit many universities and prefectures, and give talks on the topics of “peace” and “military-free Costa Rica” which are of particular interest to the Japanese people.

—– Ambassador Esquivel has served as key posts of the coffee industry for many years. Could you tell me the feature of Costa Rica coffee?

Costa Rican coffee is high-quality specialty coffee produced among others by micro-mills. Some say that it is expensive, but it is also highly-valued by consumers all over the world including Japan. Since the Costa Rica Coffee Institute was created in 1933, the coffee industry expanded. Costa Rica has established a system of high-level price transparency which allows more than 80% of the international price to go to the coffee producers. The coffee industry is socially important because it gives the producers a guarantee that the prices commensurate with the high added value of the coffee.