Costa Rica was featured in an episode of Sesame Street. Premiering on Thursday, February 29, the segment follows the Cookie Monster and Gonger as they search for papayas to prepare the dish of the day for their food truck. They visit a papaya farm where they learn about the fruit’s origin, harvesting process, and its export journey with the assistance of a local farmer.

“This episode is highly significant as it allowed us to highlight the capabilities of our national audiovisual industry and showcase the benefits of Costa Rican papayas, their varieties, and their potential for export,” said Mario Saenz, PROCOMER’s Export Development Manager.

This collaboration also presented a business opportunity for the Costa Rican audiovisual industry facilitated by PROCOMER’s trade promotion office infrastructure.

“Moreover, featuring Sesame Street characters provides us with a fantastic opportunity to introduce the product to audiences in the United States, a market where it is relatively unknown,” Saenz added.

PROCOMER’s New York Office collaborated with Sesame Workshop, the organization behind Sesame Street, to identify Costa Rican audiovisual production suppliers and validate the benefits of the country’s agricultural products.

“This effort enabled us to enhance the exportable supply of papaya crops by establishing connections with key stakeholders such as Mekanismo Audiovisual, Coopeparrita Tropical R.L, and the infrastructure of the Film Friendly Zone in the Central Pacific region,” noted Saenz.

Total papaya exports from Costa Rica in 2023 amounted to three million dollars. The primary export destinations were Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States.

“Introducing content, regardless of its scale, to the international market opens doors for new investments that support the growth of companies across various sectors. This segment, though modest, highlights the significance of our agricultural export sector and emphasizes the importance of collaboration in optimizing production resources,” remarked Johnny Corrales, Director and Innovation Project Manager of Mekanismo Audiovisual.

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational and media organization behind Sesame Street, operating in over 150 countries. Through a range of media content, formal education, and social impact programs, it assists vulnerable children based on rigorous research tailored to the needs and culture of the communities it serves.

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