CFC and Costa Rica Seek to Learn from Each Other to Strengthen Commodity Sector Collaboration
24 April 2025, Amsterdam: At the request of H.E. Mr. Arnoldo Brenes Castro, Ambassador of Costa Rica to the Netherlands, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) was pleased to arrange a virtual webinar on 24 April 2025 for interested businesses, officials, and representatives from the Embassy of Costa Rica. Ambassador Castro, accompanied by Mr. Daniel Díaz Flores, recently appointed Director of the Commercial Office for Northern Europe of the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (PROCOMER), and a group of stakeholders from Costa Rica joined the session. From the CFC, Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Managing Director, was joined by Mr. Hector Besong, Risk & Portfolio Manager, and Mr. Ernesto Daza Lacouture, Impact Investment Manager.
The webinar highlighted CFC’s Call for Proposals, showcased success stories of CFC’s investments, and provided an overview of the Fund’s work. Both CFC and Costa Rican participants expressed a strong interest in learning from each other’s experiences to enhance sustainable commodity sector development.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Castro commended CFC’s role in poverty alleviation through SME support and expressed Costa Rica’s eagerness to share its own best practices in leveraging commodities for socio-economic growth. Ambassador Belal welcomed the delegation, emphasizing the potential for mutual learning and increased collaboration. He encouraged Costa Rican businesses to engage with CFC’s funding opportunities and highlighted the newly launched Agricultural Commodity Transformation (ACT) Fund as a key initiative for private sector stakeholders in Costa Rica.
Mr. Besong and Mr. Lacouture provided a detailed presentation on CFC’s Call for Proposals, followed by an interactive Q&A session. Participants were also invited to join CFC’s upcoming webinar on 30 April 2025 for further insights into the funding process.
The dialogue reinforced the shared commitment of CFC and Costa Rica to fostering knowledge exchange and partnership in commodity-based development.
For media inquiries, please contact:
[CFC Media Relations Team]
[Email: managing.director@common-fund.org]
[Phone: +31 20 575 4949]