Eden Project Premieres Costa Rica Film Ahead of 100-Hectare Land Handover

Voices from Nicoya Premieres in London

A new short film by the Eden Project, Voices from Nicoya, premiered on 14th October at the Royal Society. Created in partnership with the Costa Rica Tourist Board, it tells the story of how the Nicoya Peninsula’s degraded farmland has been restored into thriving tropical dry forest, blending community, ecology, and sustainable tourism.

The film’s release comes as the Eden Project prepares to mark its 25th anniversary in 2026, when it will hand back 100 hectares of restored land to local people whose livelihoods depend on it.

From Drought to Regeneration

Once parched and barren, Nicoya’s landscape has been transformed over the past eight years with help from the Eden Project. More than 38,000 cacao trees have been planted, reviving a crop wiped out by disease in the 1970s. Farmers now grow cacao beneath native canopy trees, protecting the soil, creating wildlife habitats, and capturing carbon while rebuilding local economies.

Cacao at the Heart of Recovery

Costa Rica’s rejuvenated cacao industry has become a symbol of resilience. Smallholder farmers and cooperatives supported by the Eden Project are using cacao to drive nature recovery, biodiversity conservation, and a cultural revival. Native cacao and companion trees are regenerating the land while producing premium beans sought after by artisanal chocolate makers worldwide.

📷Costa Rican farmer tends to cacao beans

A Model for Global Collaboration

The Eden Project’s work in Costa Rica brings together the Costa Rica Tourism Board, the Land Stewardship Co., and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. Their shared goal is to strengthen biodiversity, community livelihoods, and economic resilience.

Andy Jasper, CEO of the Eden Project, said:
“With our Voices of Nicoya film, we celebrate years of extraordinary partnership in Costa Rica. The story shows nature’s astonishing ability to recover and how communities flourish when tourism, cacao and ecology thrive together. This is Eden’s spirit at its best: collaboration that fuels hope. I’m especially proud that this film has also empowered emerging talent at the Eden Project, creating opportunities here in the UK just as the overarching project has in Costa Rica. Living proof that when we act together, brilliance multiplies. I am so proud of this Eden Project and everyone who has made it possible.”

📷Matambu Forest, Nicoya Peninsula - After

Bringing Costa Rica to Cornwall

The Eden Project and Costa Rica Tourism Board have also created an immersive experience in Cornwall’s Rainforest Biome, transporting visitors to the sounds, scents, and sights of Costa Rica. The exhibit highlights pioneering approaches to eco-tourism and nature restoration that support both the environment and local livelihoods.

Ireth Rodríguez, Chief of Promotion at the Costa Rica Tourism Board, said:
“Since 1997 Costa Rica has invested in programmes and taken bold steps to protect our precious landscapes. We have acted to preserve and restore biodiversity, setting a high standard, exploring ways to support nature, thriving livelihoods and offer sustainably minded travellers one of the most spectacular destinations to visit in the world. We’re incredibly proud to celebrate Costa Rica’s story in partnership with Eden Project and the hope this offers the world.”

📷Matambu Forest, Nicoya Peninsula - Before

Film Screenings and the Road Ahead

Voices of Nicoya will also be shown at the Eden Project in Cornwall and will be available to watch for free on YouTube (see video above).

In December 2025, the Eden Project will begin a phased handover of community assets in Costa Rica, including a school, sports fields, a nursery and homes. The next phase seeks an investor to secure the site’s long-term protection as part of the Eden Project’s 25th anniversary legacy.

📷Farmer harvests cacao beans in Nicoya

About the Eden Project

The Eden Project is an educational charity inspiring people to take positive action for the planet. It connects people with nature and encourages global collaboration to restore ecosystems.

About Costa Rica

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Costa Rica is home to around 6.5% of the world’s known biodiversity and is recognised as a global leader in sustainable tourism. Visit www.visitcostarica.com to learn more.

📷Nicoya Peninsula

📷Local farmer harvests guavas