EARTH Ventures
EARTH Ventures is the business division of EARTH University. It puts into practice the University’s values, such as sustainability and social awareness. The businesses under EARTH Ventures contribute financially to the University’s annual operating budget, while its products allow thousands of people in international markets to learn about the EARTH story.
EARTH Ventures includes a Commercial Operations division that produces bananas that have been certified by Rainforest Alliance and Global Gap, and which are part of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) program for sustainable sourcing. It also maintains commercial and strategic alliances with companies such as Whole Foods Market and EDEKA. Our bananas are part of the domestic market in Costa Rica and also exported to the US, Germany, and the UK.
The Global Innovation Office is also part of EARTH Ventures and it is a space that seeks opportunities for developing new technologies in food systems.
In the late 1980s, EARTH acquired property where the Guácimo Campus stands today, and with it, a commercial banana farm. In spite of different challenges the industry was facing, founders saw an opportunity for EARTH to set an example for our students and prove to the world that sustainability could be achieved, and that this industry could be transformed.
Our Commercial Operations provide fair wages, safe working conditions and development opportunities to its staff. This commitment to social responsibility has earned our products the certification of: Sourced for Good, Rainforest Alliance, Global Gap, Farmers’ Selection and WWF.
EARTH University bananas are cultivated in our campus using innovative, environmentally friendly practices for healthy, nutritious fruit. They are Rainforest Alliance Certified and part of the WWF-EDEKA project for more sustainable bananas.
- Biodiversity protection: Our banana farm is divided in blocks that are surrounded by forest, promoting biological corridors, and protecting biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.
- Complete cycle for biomass: We transform our production waste returning it to the soil and we give it a second life. The stems of the banana plant are processed to return to become manure and compost or to create a cardboard-like fiber.
- No single-use plastics: We recycle the plastic bags and rope used in fields.
- Soil and water protection: We have planted ground covering in our drainage ditches to reduce erosion and prevent water contamination. These practices contribute to soil health and prevent erosion and water contamination.
- Soil health focus: We apply effective microorganisms and organic products to reduce the application of chemical fungicides on our farm.
- Complete cycle for biomass: We transform our production waste returning it to the soil and we give it a second life. The stems of the banana plant are processed to return to become manure and compost or to create a cardboard-like fiber.
- We do not have single use plastics: We recycle the plastic bags and rope used in fields.
- Soil and water protection: We have planted ground covering in our drainage ditches to reduce erosion and prevent water contamination. These practices contribute to soil health and prevent erosion and water contamination.
- Soil health focus: We apply effective microorganisms and organic products to reduce the application of chemical fungicides on our farm.
- Our farm is a learning lab: Our farms and packaging plant are a live resource for our academic research and innovation projects.
Where to buy:
- United States: Whole Foods Market
- Germany: EDEKA
- Costa Rica: Pricesmart, Fresh Market, ampm, Megasuper
Whole Foods Market (WFM) is our Commercial Operations main customer and partner. WFM currently purchases about 70% of our exports. Thanks to their support, EARTH has achieved positioning in international markets as a socially responsible organization and pioneer in sustainability practices.
Though sales to WFM began in 2002, their collaboration with EARTH dates back to 1998 with their support in initiating research on organic bananas. Over the years, this has resulted in numerous student Graduation Projects and Internships related to this topic, as well as research projects implemented as part of our Commercial Operations.
Thanks to EARTH’s outstanding social and environmental practices, we are proud recipients of the Sourced for Good certification from Whole Foods Market.
Going Deeper:
- WFM’s support for EARTH is crucial. Beyond the funds transferred to the University’s budget at the end of the year, WFM supports our core mission by enabling the operation to exist as a pioneer in sustainable practices.
- Between our farms and processing plant, EARTH provides more than 300 direct jobs. This means 300 families have a stable income and fair wages, about 20% higher than those of similar operations.
- Over the years, the Commercial Operation has contributed more than $7 million dollars to the University.
- EARTH students benefit from WFM’s financial assistance and direct support of our academic vision.
EDEKA is Germany’s largest supermarket chain. In 2020, EARTH joined a selected group of banana farms as part of EDEKA’s Banana Project in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
These projects aim to better the quality of bananas offered to German consumers, ensuring that the best social and environmental practices are applied, especially in the following areas:
- Protection of natural ecosystems
- Water management
- Integrated crops management
- Climate protection
- Waste management
- Social responsibility
Thanks to EARTH’s expertise and leadership on these issues, our partnership with EDEKA and WWF has opened up many additional opportunities for research and collaboration. As the banana industry encounters new challenges in the face of climate change, this visionary project helps us provide solutions for the industry and our food systems.
In 2023, two EARTH students developed their Graduation Projects in Block 4 of our commercial farm, an area which is part of our project partnership. In November, EARTH organized a workshop with representatives and experts from EDEKA, WWF, and Dole, in which students shared the results of their research projects concerning the evaluated different variables that affect root health and future plant productivity.