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IBM

1. International Business Machines Corporation, or IBM, is a multinational technology corporation based out of New York, USA. IBM operate primarily as a software/hardware producer, while also offering consulting services to businesses. IBM has a headquarters in Heredia, close to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. IBM’s Costa Rican branch operates primarily in customer and technical support, as well as software development. IBM’s branch in Costa Rica opened in 2004, and has sense been growing rapidly. In 2009 it was announced that they would hire 2000 employees, and as of 2012, IBM stated they planned to invest $300 million USD into Costa Rica over the next ten years. In 2019, another $21 million USD was invested into IBM’s digital security services in Costa Rica. While Costa Rica does not serve as a hardware manufacturing headquarters for IBM, their Heredia headquarters serves as the strategic center for IBM in Latin America.

The location of IBM’s Costa Rica headquarters in Heredia.

2. Due to the digital nature of IBM’s operations in Costa rica, there are relatively limited environment impacts from their operation. Socially, IBM currently employs at least 5,000 individuals in Costa Rica, making them a significant employer, particularly in Heredia. They are one of the largest software employers in the country, and offer many opportunities to Costa Rican’s who are entering the field. There average salary for employees ranges from aproximately $36,000 USD for a janitorial position up to $470,000 USD for executive positions. Skilled position workers at IBM in Costa Rica generally make well above the median salary, making the positions very desireable for many Costa Ricans.

3. IBM in Costa Rica is represented best by the framework of neo-liberalism. One large reason for IBM’s position in Costa Rica is the salaries that they pay to Costa Rican workers as opposed to workers in the United States. IBM employees in Costa Rica earn on average less than workers in the United States, which incentivises IBM to hire more customer and technical support employees in Costa Rica. This concept relies on loose labor regulations which are inherently tied to neo-liberalism. IBM in Costa Rica will most likely continue to grow, and wage differences will remain a significant factor in this growth, representing a neo-liberalist framework.

Sources:

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/IBM_to_hire_1200_people_in_Costa_Rica

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ibm-opens-technology-center-in-costa-rica/

https://www.cinde.org/en/essential-news/ibm-invests-21m-in-its-security-operations-center-in-costa-rica-to-boost-capabilities-and-meet-increased-market-demand

https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/IBM-Costa-Rica-Reviews-EI_IE354.0,3_IL.4,14_IN57.htm?filter.iso3Language=eng

https://www.ibm.com/planetwide/cr/

https://www.techtarget.com/searchitchannel/definition/IBM-International-Business-Machines#:~:text=IBM%20is%20known%20for%20its,and%20artificial%20intelligence%20(AI).

https://www.timedoctor.com/blog/average-salary-in-costa-rica/#:~:text=For%20starters%2C%20the%20average%20salary,world%2C%20as%20a%20technology%20hub.

British colonization of India (1858-1947)

1. India was a source of agricultural resources for Great Britain. Products would be grown in India and exported to Great Britain for low costs, benefiting the economy of Great Britain. These products included rubber, jute, tea, spices, sugar, and cotton, among many others. These raw materials were often processed British factories and exported for heavy profits. Local residents of India were used to supply the labor necessary to produce these raw materials. India was a very populous country at this point, and therefore had plenty of laborers who the British were able to subjugate into producing raw materials.
2. British influence in India started with the East India Company, which operated between 1600 and 1874. This British owned company started as a trading company which would import raw materials from India to Britain. Their influence grew in India as more trading posts were set up, and eventually the company started claiming new territory through war. This continued until the company had established primary control over the Indian sub-continent by 1820. In 1857, strong rebellions across India led to the removal of the East India Company as the ruling force in India, which was replaced by direct rule under the British crown. This was the formal beginning of the Indian Empire of Great Britain. India was divided into provinces, each ruled by a British appointed governor and British military.
3. A common mindset in British India was that of the “white man’s burden”, as coined by Rudyard Kipling. This mindset relied on the idea that the Britsh were more civilised people who could bring order and prosperity to India, which was before an uncivilised and barbaric (and non-Christian) area. The spread of Christian ideals and values was an important justification for British control in India, as it was justified that British rule would help spead Christianity and therefore uplift the Indian people. British rule was largely hated in India for obvious reasons – exploitation of labor, rejection of traditional culture, harsh punishments for disobedience, etc. By 1947, public sentiment had changed on colonialism to the point that Great Britain removed themselves from a ruling position over the Indian sub-continent. Great Britain still managed to harm local peoples even on the way out, as they recklessly divided Bangledesh and India in an unequitable way which has stimulated conflict in India and what is now Pakistan to this day.

Sources:

How Christianity spread in British India: Crusade of the Clapham Sect

https://www.britannica.com/event/British-raj

Cypher, James M. (2014) [First published 1997]. The Process of Economic Development (4th ed.). Routledge. p. 97. 

https://www.dhyeyaias.com/current-affairs/daily-current-affairs/white-man-burden#:~:text=Active%20steps%20were%20taken%20by,Indians%20(White%20Man’s%20burden).

Crop 1: Palm Oil

Palm oil is grown primarily from African Oil Palm (Elais guineensis var.), a palm plant which is grown in tropical climates around the world for its oil. Palm oil is a valuable commodity commonly used in food production. Palm oil can be sold in a crude or refined state. In the Osa Peninsula, palm oil is produced largely through contract agriculture under Grupo Numar, which offers plantation managment plans which have been comparitively lucrative compared to many other food crops. Palm oil is largely grown for export, which the main destinations being Mexico, the Netherlands, and Nicaragua.

https://inogo.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/African%20palm%20social%20landscape%20INOGO%20June%202013.pdf

Crop 2: Coffee

Coffee has been grown in Costa Rica for over 200 years. Coffee production is Costa Rica has its roots from Spanish Colonists in the 1700’s, who introduced the plant and started producing it in large quantities upon the realization that Costa Rica provides a perfect climate for it to grow. Coffee beans are harvested and processed, which usually involves drying the bean in the sun. Coffee is grown to export, with the main destinations being the United States, Belgium, and Switzerland. Coffee farms also commonly offer tours, which adds another stream of income to the farmers.

https://www.govisitcostarica.com/travelInfo/day-trips/coffee-plantaions.asp

COSTA RICA : What to Expect from Crop 22/23?

Crop 3: Banana

Bananas are one one of Costa Rica’s largest and most important exports. The fruit come from the banana tree, which was introduced to Central America by Portugese and Spanish colonists in the 16th century. Banana production has been a staple to Central American agriculture ever since. There is not an intense refinement process for bananas, aiding the scale of production throughout Costa Rica. Costa Rica, despite its small size, is the worlds 3rd largest exporter of bananas (2021). There are common issues associated with growing bananas, including nematodes and other pests. Pesticides and fungicides are commonly used to combat the issues and aid the production of the important food crop.

https://croplife.org/news-views/sharing-the-story/brilliant-bananas-from-costa-rica/

https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/bananas/reporter/cri#:~:text=About&text=Exports%20In%202021%2C%20Costa%20Rica,exported%20product%20in%20Costa%20Rica.

Crop 4: Pineapple

Pineapple is another fruit which is commonly grown for export in Costa Rica. In fact, Costa Rica is the largest exporter of pineapple in the world, with nearly 70% of the global market share, with the United States being the largest importer. Similarly to bananas, the refinement process for pineaplle is relatively minimal, with basic pesticides, fungicides, and preservatives being used to assure quality and quantity of the fruit. These methods have led to issues in the past of chemicals seeping into important waterways and posing threats to local wildlife and people. This inspired the creation of the INSP, the National Initiative for Sustainable Pineapple Production. This legislature has helped regulate and monitor pineapple production throughout Costa Rica and any environmental impacts caused through its production and export.

https://www.producereport.com/article/2022-global-pineapple-exports-fall-lower-costa-rican-supply#:~:text=Global%20pineapple%20exports%20in%202022,market%20share%20of%20nearly%2070%25.

Costa Rica and Colombia continue to boost pineapple exports to the U.S

https://www.undp.org/facs/costa-rica-sustainable-pineapple

Crop 5 : Sugarcane

Sugarcane has been grown in Costa Rica since it was introduced by Spanish colonists in the 1600’s. In order to extract sugar from the sugarcane, the sugarcane is crushed, squeezed, and boiled in order to extract the sugar, before being further refined and purified and eventually packaged and shipped. The main destinations for Costa Rican sugar were the United States, Canada, and the European Union in 2016. Costa Ricas sugarcane exports total to around $40 million per year, making the crop vital to the Costa Rican economy. It is important to mention another use of sugarcane is in ethanol production, which comes from the fermentation of sugar. Costa Rica exported around $18 million in >80% ethanol products in 2021, adding even more value to the sugarcane crop.

https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/report/downloadreportbyfilename?filename=Sugar%20Annual_San%20Jose_Costa%20Rica_4-10-2017.pdf

http://www.oas.org/dsd/environmentlaw/trade/documents/tablecentralamericafinal%20_en_.pdf

https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/alcohol-80-abv/reporter/cri

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