Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, DGRV works to strengthen the cooperative sector as part of the country’s broader social economy. The focus lies on helping cooperatives contribute more effectively to sustainable development, especially in relation to the goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Costa Rica is home to 540 cooperatives across various economic sectors. Out of a population of 5.2 million- 865,000 people are members of one. Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) and agricultural cooperatives are particularly significant. One in six individuals active in the rural sector belongs to an agricultural cooperative. Additionally, the country’s four energy cooperatives play a key role by generating renewable energy for 250,000 member households in different regions.

Together with the National Institute for Cooperative Development (INFOCOOP), DGRV supports cooperatives in measuring and communicating how their activities – such as projects, investments and social initiatives – help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim is to encourage cooperatives to take concrete steps each year to increase their impact on key global challenges.

To support this, cooperatives receive training and technical assistance on topics like sustainability, gender equality, youth participation, environmental protection and climate change. The goal is to help them plan and implement meaningful actions that benefit both their members and society.

As part of this support, DGRV also provides specially developed software that helps cooperatives manage their operations more effectively and track their contributions to sustainable development.

A key part of the project is making the contributions of cooperatives more visible. The first report produced through this initiative was officially recognized by Costa Rica’s Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (MIDEPLAN) and included in the country’s Third Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2024.