The UK Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy, Lord Richard Benyon, visited Costa Rica, alongside high-level delegations from Brazil and Colombia, as part of the first-ever regional bioeconomy mission funded by the UK, aimed at fostering collaboration and sharing experiences on advancing a prosperous bioeconomy.
At the inaugural conference, “Bioeconomy Futures: Collaborative pathways between the United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Colombia and Brazil,” the UK Ambassador to Costa Rica, Ben Lyster-Binns, welcomed high-level officials and experts, including UK Minister Lord Benyon; Bioeconomy Secretary of Brazil, Carina Pimenta; Vice Minister of Business Development of Colombia, Soraya Caro; and Bioeconomy Minister of Argentina, Fernando Vilella, who had joined virtually.
Ambassador Lyster-Binns reminded attendees that international cooperation and knowledge exchange were key to taking full advantage of the bioeconomy’s potential to drive sustainable development. He expressed the hope that the day’s deliberations would help strengthen the enabling environment for the development of the bioeconomy in the participating countries, especially for small and medium enterprises.
During the ministerial panel discussion, Minister Benyon highlighted the UK’s work across government to ensure the country meets its climate and nature targets. He also made reference to UK government commitments to regional initiatives, such as an initial £2 million through the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, £80 million for the Amazon Fund and a wider shared commitment to get £30 billion a year for nature flowing in to developing countries by 2030, mobilising a global total of £200bn a year by 2030.
Later in the week, field trips to the coffee cooperative CoopeTarrazu, the Costa Rica Institute of Technology and the Manuel Antonio National Park provided insight into biotechnology initiatives and scientific research underway in the country to boost the bioeconomy, as well as ongoing efforts and strategies to protect and conserve Costa Rica’s prized biodiversity.
Lord Benyon also held meetings with the Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arnoldo André; Environment Minister Franz Tattenbach; and Vice Minister for Foreign Trade, Indiana Trejos, as well as with non-governmental organisations working in the area of climate and environment.
