Costa Rican pineapple trade in dire straits

Over the past 20 years, the pineapple trade in Costa Rica has only grown, but 2020 saw a sharp decline in pineapple consumption, which has only been accelerated by the corona pandemic. It is not the first time in history that this industry has experienced a decline, but it is the most dramatic to date. It also has drastic consequences for the workers in this sector. The planted area of MD2 pineapples in the country reached more than 43,000 hectares in 2018, but that has currently decreased to less than 40,000 hectares, resulting in job losses. As early as July last year, the president of the association of pineapple producers and exporters predicted a loss of 2,500 full-time jobs. In 2018, pineapple imports into the EU reached a record high of over one million tonnes, but by 2020 they are likely to have fallen to around 870,000 tonnes. Quantities from Costa Rica, which has a 90% market share in the EU, are estimated to have fallen by about 14%. The next two largest exporters, ...