Accelerating breeding cycles, diversifying production geographies and navigating increasingly complex regulatory environments have become part of the day-to-day for seed companies. In this context, location decisions are no longer just operational; they are strategic.
Beyond costs or standalone advantages, companies are prioritizing environments where research, validation and production can be carried out with continuity, precision and alignment with international standards. Costa Rica is emerging in that space, bringing these capabilities together within a single ecosystem and enabling a closer link between science, production and markets.
Mónica Umaña, foreign direct investment attraction manager at the Trade & Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER), noted, “Costa Rica’s advantage lies in how its operating conditions come together with a clear regulatory environment. This allows companies to reduce uncertainty and move their programs forward more efficiently.”
One of the main challenges for seed companies is shortening development cycles without compromising the quality of results. Costa Rica offers an efficient combination: a wide range of microclimates within a compact territory and the ability to run programs year-round, accelerating material validation and optimizing resource use.
“Costa Rica offers unique conditions for seed research and production, particularly due to its diversity of microclimates and its ability to support continuous operations,” representatives from Bayer, one of the world’s leading crop science companies, noted. “This enables us to strengthen our evaluation programs and continuously advance our breeding processes.”
These advantages are reinforced by stable environmental conditions that allow trials and production to be planned with greater precision, reducing operational disruptions and improving the reliability of results.
At the same time, the regulatory environment plays a decisive role. Costa Rica has developed a science-based framework that supports the coexistence of conventional, organic, genetically modified and gene-edited systems. This allows companies to align their programs with multiple destination markets without having to redesign processes for each jurisdiction, reducing friction and increasing predictability.
From a regional perspective, this approach also positions the country as a relevant platform for validating new technologies. According to CropLife Latin America, which represents the crop science industry in the region, Costa Rica provides an environment where different production models can coexist, creating opportunities to test and scale innovation under clear and transparent rules.
These conditions are already reflected in real-world operations. In the case of Bayer, its presence in Costa Rica has evolved over nearly three decades into a highly specialized operation in seed production and genetic evaluation, exporting more than 50,000 candidate lines annually and producing seeds at advanced stages for international markets. In addition, the presence of major global players such as Nutrien and BASF underscores Costa Rica’s attractiveness as a strategic hub for agribusiness and seed-related operations.
The integration of technologies such as digital mapping, drone-based data collection and automated irrigation systems has helped optimize processes and move toward more efficient and sustainable production models. “Our program has evolved beyond production. Today, we are also developing solutions that can be applied across different crops and geographies,” the company noted.
This type of operation positions Costa Rica as an active node within global research and development networks, where processes are not only executed but continuously refined and transferred.
Execution speed is another increasingly critical factor. In Costa
Rica, this is supported by an institutional facilitation model that
accompanies companies from initial evaluation through full operation,
reducing setup times and streamlining implementation.
“One of the key differentiators for companies is the ability to reduce implementation and operational timelines. At PROCOMER, we focus on eliminating friction so projects can move from evaluation to execution more efficiently,” Umaña added.
At the same time, talent development has become essential to sustaining these types of operations. Costa Rica has implemented targeted mechanisms to respond to industry needs, including a dedicated talent development fund that co-finances training and specialization in strategic technical areas. This enables companies not only to access available talent but also to build capabilities aligned with their specific operational requirements.
Preferential access to more than 50 markets, along with strong logistics connectivity to the Americas and Europe, further strengthens this environment, allowing companies to integrate seamlessly into global value chains.
For seed companies, the conversation is no longer just about where conditions are favorable but where operations can be executed more effectively, with lower risk and faster results. Costa Rica is positioning itself as that platform—where research, production and regulation come together to enable more agile, globally connected operations.
“Companies today are looking for where they can execute better, not just where they can produce. Costa Rica offers that capability: an environment where innovation advances consistently, processes respond with agility and integration into high-value global chains becomes more precise,” Umaña concluded.
About the PROCOMER
The Trade & Investment Promotion Agency of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) was established in 1996 under Law No. 7638. PROCOMER connects Costa Rica with global markets by promoting Costa Rican exports worldwide and serving as the country’s official agency for foreign direct investment attraction. Its work includes fostering talent, managing and promoting the national brand essential COSTA RICA, advancing the country’s trade interests, streamlining import and export procedures, monitoring foreign trade statistics, and administering special trade regimes.