Agroecology and Ecosystem Services in a Coffee Landscape of Costa Rica

Agroecology and Ecosystem Services in a Coffee Landscape of Costa Rica
Author: Sebastian Castro-Tanzi
Publisher:
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2014
Genre:
ISBN:

I estimated that 176 ± 10 Mg ha−1 of carbon is assimilated in the vegetation's biomass and soil organic matter of coffee agroforestry systems. While this represents 1.6 times more carbon than what is found in the vegetation and soils of pastures in the same region, it only represents 0.6 of the amount observed in forests.

Coffee Agroecology

Coffee Agroecology
Author: Ivette Perfecto
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 359
Release: 2015-02-11
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1134056079

Based on principles of the conservation and optimization of biodiversity and of equity and sustainability, this book focuses on the ecology of the coffee agroecosystem as a model for a sustainable agricultural ecosystem. It draws on the authors' own research conducted over the last twenty years as well as incorporating the vast literature that has been generated on coffee agroecosystems from around the world. The book uses an integrated approach that weaves together various lines of research to understand the ecology of a very diverse tropical agroforestry system. Key concepts explored include biodiversity patterns, metapopulation dynamics and ecological networks. These are all set in a socioeconomic and political framework which relates them to the realities of farmers' livelihoods. The authors provide a novel synthesis that will generate new understanding and can be applied to other examples of sustainable agriculture and food production. This synthesis also explains the ecosystem services provided by the approach, including the economic, fair trade and political aspects surrounding this all-important global commodity.

Variance in Approach Toward a ‘Sustainable’ Coffee Industry in Costa Rica

Variance in Approach Toward a ‘Sustainable’ Coffee Industry in Costa Rica
Author: Melissa Vogt
Publisher: Ubiquity Press
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2019-12-18
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1911529781

Dr. Melissa Vogt considers the influence of Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade in coffee farming communities of Costa Rica from 2009-2019. Sustainability certifications schemes are working amongst a range of sustainability efforts, unique by their intra market location. The intentions of each certification scheme must be clarified prior to evaluation and their influence considered amongst contextually specific historic and contemporary considerations, and alongside the range of sustainability efforts. The advantages and disadvantages, opportunities for improvement and how alternative mechanisms might improve upon or complement sustainability certification schemes are explained. An epilogue considers how prioritisation of coffee as a cash crop may align with sustainability. The influence on biodiversity, community health and income, and the possible implication of reduced coffee crop density for consumers, the market and farming landscapes is considered. How sustainability standards might better encourage more ambitious sustainability in farming landscapes is for future consideration.

Ecosystem Services from Agriculture and Agroforestry

Ecosystem Services from Agriculture and Agroforestry
Author: Bruno Rapidel
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 450
Release: 2011
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 184971147X

Payments for ecosystem services are hoped to encourage and promote sustainable practices in agricultural systems via financial incentives. Through methodological analysis and case studies, this book provides several examples of successful programs and aims to transfer them to other regions of the world.

Integrating Agriculture, Conservation and Ecotourism: Examples from the Field

Integrating Agriculture, Conservation and Ecotourism: Examples from the Field
Author: W. Bruce Campbell
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2011-06-07
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9400713096

Issues In Agroecology – Present Status and Future Prospectus not only reviews aspects of ecology, but the ecology of sustainable food production systems, and related societal and cultural values. To provide effective communication regarding status and advances in this field, this series connects with many disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, environmental sciences, ethics, agriculture, economics, ecology, rural development, sustainability, policy and education, and integrations of these general themes so as to provide integrated points of view that will help lead to a more sustainable construction of values than conventional economics alone. Such designs are inherently complex and dynamic, and go beyond the individual farm to include landscapes, communities, and biogeographic regions by emphasizing their unique agricultural and ecological values, and their biological, societal, and cultural components and processes.

Costa Rica’s journey towards sustainable food systems

Costa Rica’s journey towards sustainable food systems
Author: Roosendaal, L., Brouwer, H., Garcia-Campos, P., Prado-Rivera, F.
Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2021-08-19
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9251347859

Governments and other food system actors from the private sector, civil society, research and education institutions are being called upon to work together to enhance the sustainability, resilience and inclusiveness of food systems. The analysis presented in this case study provides an insight into the process and direction of food system transformation, and the key capabilities required. It portrays the interplay of different internal and external dynamics combined with the capacity of food system actors to connect, forge alliances and commit to specific actions that has enabled Costa Rica to move towards a more sustainable food system. As a result, the sustainability debate has increasingly opened up, moving from a focus on environmental sustainability in food production towards a broader discussion encompassing nutrition and health.

Agroecology

Agroecology
Author: Stephen R. Gliessman
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2007
Genre: Agricultural ecology
ISBN: 9780849328459

Providing the theoretical and conceptual framework for this continually evolving field, Agroecology: The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems, Second Edition explores environmental factors and complexities affecting agricultural crops and animals. Completely revised, updated, and reworked, the second edition contains new data, new readings, new issues and case studies, and new options. It includes two completely new chapters, one on the role of livestock animals in agroecosystems and one on the cultural and community aspects of sustainable food systems. The author clearly delineates the importance of using an ecosystem framework for determining if a particular agricultural practice, input, or management decision contributes or detracts from sustainability. He explains how the framework provides the ecological basis for the functioning of the chosen management strategy over the long-term. He also examines system level interactions, stressing the need for understanding the emergent qualities of populations, communities, and ecosystems and their roles in sustainable agriculture. Using examples of farming systems in a broad array of ecological conditions, the book demonstrates how to use an ecosystem approach to design and manage agroecosystems for sustainability.

Variance in Approach Toward a 'Sustainable' Coffee Industry in Costa Rica

Variance in Approach Toward a 'Sustainable' Coffee Industry in Costa Rica
Author: Melissa Vogt
Publisher:
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2019-12-18
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9781911529767

The monograph considers the influence of Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance in 10 Costa Rican coffee farming communities. Misaligned intentions to outcomes, sustainability approaches and variable influence is observed. Opportunity for improvement is explained alongside the consideration of the sustainability of prioritising coffee as a cash crop.

The Agroecology Movement in Costa Rica. Aims, Actors, Structures and Relation to Organic Agriculture

The Agroecology Movement in Costa Rica. Aims, Actors, Structures and Relation to Organic Agriculture
Author: Moritz Stüber
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2018-10-16
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3668818029

Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2018 in the subject Agrarian Studies, grade: 2,3, University of Hohenheim (Zentrum Ökologischer Landbau Universität Hohenheim), language: English, abstract: Agroecology, just like Organic Agriculture in Europe, belongs to the huge amount of approaches, which aim to perform agriculture in a more sustainable way. The Agroecology movement, as it is named by the famous agronomist and agroecological expert Altieri, has its origins in Latin America. The approach of Agroecology is integrating ecological measures and traditional knowledge into the farming system, aiming to perform agriculture in a more sustainable and also to attain food sovereignty and food security. Regarding to the sheer size of Latin America, several regions are subdivided by having their own sub-movement. By focussing on Costa Rica as part of Central America, this case study aims to give a proper understanding how the Central American movement works. The sub-movement in Central America is called the farmer-to-farmer movement. Here, knowledge and technology are passed on between several farmers within one region, seeing themselves as peer. Trainers, so called promotors are installed, are doing the preparatory work, as they are the link between knowledge and the soon-to-be Agroecological farmers. Workshops are held, and a pre-structuring is given, to enable and simplify the application of Agroecology. CAC can be rather seen as a key methodology, having its origins in Central America. For the Agroecological farmers, the CAC approach is not to be categorised nowhere near Agroecology. CAC is just a method, whereas the farmers are practicing Agroecology as a philosophy. Their philosophy is including culture, traditional practices and community living, together with exchange and political advocacy. Public instruments and structures are not given solely for Agroecology, but for several sustainable agriculture approaches together. A law on Organic Agriculture was implemented in 2007. Organic Agriculture should not be equated to Agroecology. NGOs and public bodies, that are working on the field of sustainable agricultural approaches, are aiming to unite all different systems, e.g. Agroecology and Organic Agriculture. NGOs are aiming mostly for political power, coming with one big movement, while the government is rather interested in the economic aspects of a huge sustainable production. To the farmers, Organic Agriculture was introduced to be a way to gain price premiums, by just adding seals to their product.

Agroecology

Agroecology
Author: V. Ernesto Mendez
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2015-11-18
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1482241773

Agroecology: A Transdisciplinary, Participatory and Action-oriented Approach is the first book to focus on agroecology as a transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented process. Using a combined theoretical and practical approach, this collection of work from pioneers in the subject along with the latest generation of acknowledged leaders