This trip really changed my perspective on business as a whole! For the past few years I have studied supply chain management at Texas A&M, studying “the how” of moving products quickly, how to lower costs and “the how” to best utilize inventory. However during this trip, specifically in my lectures at and our company visits to Bici Chocolate on New Years day, I had the opportunity to reflect on “the why”.
My biggest realization from the trip has been how different the culture of the workplace is in Costa Rica versus the United States. Our society communicates with such pressure and emphasizes individual success. In Costa Rica, I have come to realize that the workplace culture is based on a collective set of values such as “Pura Vida” which means pure life, and a sense of collective responsibility to protect the environment.
I began to understand through our classes that sustainability is an advantage, not a cost, when creating profits. The ecotourist companies in La Fortuna, such as the zipline company we went to, provide logistical complexity to support large amounts of people while maintaining 6% of the earth’s total biodiversity. I was impressed to learn that they are able to maintain this level of tourism while still maintaining very strict conservation standards. I also learned that there doesn’t have to be a trade off between the planet and having a functional, high volume operation.
Our trip to Bici Chocolate gave me another look into inventory and production. Their goal of being carbon neutral, eventually running everything by bike, changed the way I think about the traditional cost/benefit analysis of supply chains. It’s not just about finding the cheapest shipping method, it’s also about finding the most ethical shipping method.
As I begin my career at PepsiCo in Chicago, I want to continue looking for ethical and eco-friendly business solutions. This trip was a perfect transition from my time at Texas A&M into the professional world, providing me with an example for bringing a more sustainable and Pura Vida approach to the global supply chain.
