M: And this is the spinach. There, you can see chili peppers, these have much more nutrients. And also, a small organic broccoli of half a kilo, you can eat it safely, you know that it is not going to cause you any sickness or cancer or anything.

HOST: Hallo, benevolent viewers, and welcome to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Costa Rica abounds with a great variety of flora and fauna, being home to over 12,000 species of plants, 850 varieties of birds, 200 types of mammals and some 35,000 species of insects.

The country also boasts a tropical climate and a varied landscape, including virgin rainforests, clear lakes, pristine rivers and lofty mountains.

Over the past three decades, in order to protect its priceless natural resources, ecological treasures and biodiversity, Costa Rica’s government has enacted strong conservation measures. 

For example, one recently proposed law M: And this is the spinach. There, you can see chili peppers, these have much more nutrients. And also, a small organic broccoli of half a kilo, you can eat it safely, you know that it is not going to cause you any sickness or cancer or anything.

HOST : Hallo, benevolent viewers, and welcome to Animal World: Our Co-Inhabitants. Costa Rica abounds with a great variety of flora and fauna, being home to over 12,000 species of plants, 850 varieties of birds, 200 types of mammals and some 35,000 species of insects. The country also boasts a tropical climate and a varied landscape, including virgin rainforests, clear lakes, pristine rivers and lofty mountains.

Over the past three decades, in order to protect its priceless natural resources, ecological treasures and biodiversity, Costa Rica’s government has enacted strong conservation measures.  For example, one recently proposed law requires that 25% of all produce sold in the country’s supermarkets be organic.

In response to these initiatives toward a greener nation, more and more Costa Rican farmers are adopting sustainable, environmentally friendly agricultural methods.

Today’s show features the inspirational story of Mr. Gradely Chacón Varela, a former dairy farmer who now runs a successful organic vegetable farm in the heart of Costa Rica.

I have always loved nature, I love the countryside and I am grateful to God for having allowed me to stay in the same place where I was born, and doing what I have always liked to do.

HOST: For many years, Mr. Chacón Varela’s family made a living through dairy farming.
However, a family tragedy caused him to reconsider his means of livelihood. 

M: He taught me to use the hoe and the shovel and this brother of mine died at 55 years old due to gastric cancer. That was something that really marked a turning point in our lives, because we here in the countryside, we are all a family.

My brother died due to gastric cancer brought on by chemicals. He was using chemicals and he had terminal gastric cancer. And I heard about him using those very strong chemicals without a mask; he was putting his hand inside buckets filled with those strong products.

HOST: With information obtained from organic farming advocates, Mr. Chacón Varela learned that using synthetic chemicals and fertilizers on crops is harmful to both humans and the environment. 

M: If you pass by the place where they are planting with a chemical product, maybe spraying, you need to cover your nose up to 200 meters away from those odors. And can anyone believe that it is not contaminating your lungs or your liver? The liver is the most delicate of our organs. There you have it; there you have cancer because anything can create cancer within us; cancer is the largest threat to humans.

HOST: Mr. Chacón Varela also came to realize that the hormones used in livestock raising have a powerful impact on child development. of all produce sold in the country’s supermarkets be organic.
In response to these initiatives toward a greener nation, more and more Costa Rican farmers are adopting sustainable, environmentally friendly agricultural methods.

Today’s show features the inspirational story of Mr. Gradely Chacón Varela, a former dairy farmer who now runs a successful organic vegetable farm in the heart of Costa Rica.

I have always loved nature, I love the countryside and I am grateful to God for having allowed me to stay in the same place where I was born, and doing what I have always liked to do.