How does a nation balance its reputation as a pristine wilderness and its role as a producer of tropical crops? Twelve IFAJ journalists will find out October 18 to 26, 2026, on a week-long 2026 IFAJ Exposure-4-Development (E-4-D) tour!
This year’s tour plans include visits to dairy, cacao, pineapple, palm oil, and coffee farms, as well as Costa Rica’s main Atlantic port. The group will also meet with officials and experts in agricultural policy, trade, environmental issues, and pest management.
Thanks to a generous grant from CropLife International, this year’s E-4-D program will be an affordable opportunity to dig deep into Costa Rica’s agriculture. Journalists from IFAJ member guilds in good standing can apply for a seat on the tour, and the selected participants need only pay a small fee (still being determined: usually it is about €400) and their travel costs to the capital city of San Jose.
Previous E-4-D trips have included tours in Thailand, Brazil, China, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and more. Extensive coverage from the Thailand and Brazil tours is available on the IFAJ website.
“Exposure-4-Development provides a very affordable opportunity for journalists to explore an area that would otherwise be challenging to navigate,” says Steve Werblow, IFAJ president. “The small-group format allows journalists to ask plenty of questions and bring home stories that open up a wider view of global agriculture and trade. And the generosity of CropLife International creates a very affordable opportunity.”
Participants are selected by a jury, which looks for journalists who are serious about publishing or broadcasting stories from the trip. Apply online here. The application period will close on August 7, and participants will be selected and notified by August 15.
The 2026 E-4-D press tour to Costa Rica is being planned by Niels Damsgaard Hansen, Craig Lester, Jake Zajkowski and Steve Werblow.
Visit https://www.ifaj.org/our-programmes/exposure-4-development/ for more information in the weeks ahead.