WHY THE OSA?

The Osa Peninsula was referred to by National Geographic as “the most biologically intense place on Earth”.  It houses 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity and half of Costa Rica’s biodiversity. It contains the most significant wetland ecosystem and mangrove forest of Central America and the largest remaining tract of lowland rainforest in Pacific Mesoamerica.  It is home to the largest population of Scarlet Macaws in Central America, over 700 species of trees (more than all the temperate regions combined), species found no where else in the world, and turtle nesting sites for 4 species of endangered sea turtles. Separating the Osa Peninsula from the mainland is the Golfo Dulce Bay – one of only 4 tropical fjords on the planet and a vital nursery for both northern and southern populations of humpback whales and hammerhead sharks.

The Osa Peninsula is at an important juncture. Historically, it has been very difficult to access making it less desirable to developers and tourists.  However, with increasing infrastructure and desire to visit by tourists, it is facing a critical choice between rapid unsustainable growth or steady sustainable development. There are many threats; unsustainable palm oil expansion polluting the ecosystem; poverty driven wildlife poaching and illegal logging and mining; historical lack of effective governance and public services due to corruption; lack of jobs and land insecurity due to inadequate conservation policy regulations, international land acquisitions, and poor education; ill advised, mass tourism development projects including a recently-built large marina and Hilton resort and a proposed international airport that threatens sustainable development; and siloed actions and funding of stakeholders. These are all symptoms of systemic challenges. What are the root causes? What are the leverage points for collective action that can ensure a shared future vision of a thriving ecosystem, thriving blue/green economy, and thriving communities?  What capacity support infrastructure is necessary to increase the success of project implementation? How can systems financing of projects reduce risk in the market and create enabling conditions for systems-wide savings and reliable, if not higher-performing, triple bottom line returns?  

Systemic challenges need systems based solutions. The Osa Peninsula Regenerative Economy Lab (REL) aims to address these questions together with the Indigenous People and local communities of the Osa Peninsula, pre-existing donors, government institutions, local and national organizations, and investors.

THE PROJECT

Since 2015, Regenerative Earth has been developing with Indigenous People, local communities, and governmental leaders a regenerative blue/green economy model and systems financing approach to conservation and sustainable development in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. We seek to learn together how to create a thriving economy, community, and culture that is dependent on and enhances the health of the rainforest and marine ecosystems.

Our earlier systems mapping analysis work in the region shows that the Indigenous People and local communities of the Osa Peninsula collectively desire a regenerative future, one that enables thriving communities, ecosystems, and a blue/green economy. Our premise is that if there is a shared understanding of the systems dynamics and vision of the region; projects, businesses, and actions are selected with a systems criteria to enable this vision; and the enabling conditions are in place; then systems change can be actualized.   

In 2017, the Osa Territorial Council, a local governance body made up of 60% civic and 40% government representation, created a Sustainable Development Plan for the Osa Territory and began selecting high leverage projects with a systems lens to implement this plan. However, with a lack of capacity support, these projects over time were considered high risk and underdeveloped, and thus struggled to receive the funding needed to implement them. Regenerative Earth was asked to help address this capacity gap, so that these projects and future projects would have ongoing capacity strengthening support to effectively plan, develop, and implement projects and receive the funding needed. 

In 2022, Regenerative Earth co-founded the Center for Strategic Development in the Osa Peninsula (CEDPO) with the Institute of Rural Development (INDER) and the Osa Territorial Council (OTC). CEDPO was created to build the capacity of the OTC and the Board of Directors of the OTC; co-develop and manage the Sustainable Development Plan of the Osa Peninsula Territory; support the communities selection of projects using a systems based criteria; strengthen the capacities of projects, organizations, and leaders; connect projects with alliances, organizations, and resources; and systemically and collaboratively invest in projects selected by the OTC and CEDPO alongside other funders in the region.

The learning, structures, and processes we develop are intended to be shared and scalable to advance the field of systems change that is locally led during a time when humanity faces complex challenges that can only be solved by systems based solutions. 

OSA TERRITORY SYSTEMS MAPS

Maintained by:
Centro Estratégico de Desarrollo de la Peninsula de Osa (CEDPO)
(Regenerative Earth, Osa Territorial Council, and INDER)

Developed by:
Jennifer Menke
Joe Hsueh, Ph.D
Todd Khozein

As part of the:
The Academy for Systems Change Fellowship

Based upon:

• Research by the Iniciativa Osa y Golfito (INOGO) Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment
• Interviews of Indigenous People, local community members, government officials, and other relevant rightsholders and stakeholders
• Over a dozen multi-stakeholder convenings

Osa & Golfito Systems Theory of Change with Initial Systems Financing Overlay

2024 UPDATED OSA PENINSULA SYSTEMS MAP VIA KUMU INC.

PROJECTS WE SUPPORT

RAISING CORAL

Restoring coral reefs in the Golfo Dulce Bay and training local youth to be coral gardeners. 

STRENGTHENING CULTURAL SYSTEMS WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE NGÄBE COMMUNITY OF THE ALTO LAGUNA TERRITORY

A series of projects designed and led by the Ngäbe tribe of Alto Laguna and supported by CEDPO through capacity strengthening and multi-year grants. Some of the projects include:

• Intercultural exchange with other indigneous territories in Costa Rica to learn from one another and rescue knowledge.

• Eco- and ethno-tourism

• Regenerative agriculture with native seeds

• Cultural school to transfer knowledge from the elders to the youth

• Woman’s art cooperative

• Cultural Fair

ASSOCIATION OF ARTISANS AND RECYCLERS OF OSA (ASAOSA)

CEDPO assists with strengthening the capacity of the ASAOSA staff in project management, proposal writing, strategic planning, financial management and through small grants improves the working conditions, machinery, infrastructure, and community education.

AROMAS DE OSA

CEDPO is supporting Aromas de Osa through a regrant in the production and sale of native vanilla beans grown by local farmers in the Osa Peninsula. 

OSACOOP

A cooperative of 109 small scale farmers in the Osa Peninsula.

OTHER PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY CEDPO

• TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USES OF SEEDS, PLANTS, AND TREES

• GUERREROS DE LA SALUD (Health Warriors)

• PUEBLOS UNIDOS TURISMO ARQUEOLÓGICO 

• COMISIÓN PLAN DE MANEJO DE RESIDUOS SÓLIDOS 

• ASOCIACIÓN DE PESCADORES DE PUERTO JIMÉNEZ

• RESCATE DE VALORES 

REGENERATIVE ECONOMY LAB TEAM