Paper short abstract:

I examine what the discourse on socio-environmental transitions in Costa Rica's Osa region suggests regarding recent growth in tourism interests for farmers (campesinos), conservationism as a new form of land governance, and previous instances of resource extraction linked to global markets.

Paper long abstract:

There is a ubiquitous claim among residents and visitors within Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula that there has been a "complete change in mentality," beginning about fifteen years ago. The rhetoric of transition and change is deeply embedded in this area, and I propose to discuss three instances within this paper: resource extraction tied to foreign interests, state-run conservation and land management planning, and the growth of sustainable tourism at the local level - concerning campesinos. Early extractive interests, such as a US-based timber company, have instigated conflict over land rights with campesinos including violent altercations and arrests. The Costa Rican government, along with an international network of scientists and activists, addressed the Osa controversy by creating Corcovado National Park. A radical move for Latin American land policy in 1975, the park represented a new moral regime of land governance. As the Osa became 80% state-preserved land, residents have been facing a new order of control that emphasizes the importance of conservation. Given the rise in Costa Rican tourism since the 1980s and the establishment of the nation as a prime locale for ecotourism, the Osa has been sought after for sustainable development and "ecotours." This most recent transformation marks the break with the past that residents so frequently discuss; the phenomenon through which forceful rhetoric that merges capitalism and conservationism becomes most apparent. Analyzing these moments through the framework of transformation gives us historical perspectives and allows for a more intimate understanding of what individuals mean by change.