Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jorge A. Valenciano-Salazar, Francisco J. Andre, Mario Solino
Summary: The study found that Costa Rican consumers are willing to pay a 30% price premium for environmental certifications like Carbon Neutral, Fairtrade, and ISO 14001. Factors such as household income, education level, and environmental activism increase the likelihood of consumers paying price premiums, with women being more willing to pay than men. The willingness to pay for the Carbon Neutral certification stands out among the three certifications.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Adolfo Quesada-Roman, Lilliam Quiros-Arias, Juan Carlos Zamora-Pereira
Summary: Smallholder coffee farms in the Upper Buenavista Catchment (UBC) in the South of Costa Rica have developed in the last two decades, cultivating premium-priced coffee in unstable and erosive areas. Coffee farmers have transformed from small producers to knowledgeable entrepreneurs, reducing economic risks and improving their incomes.
Article
Development Studies
Karla Rubio-Jovel, Jorge Sellare, Yannic Damm, Thomas Dietz
Summary: This article assesses the contribution of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) through a case study from the coffee sector in Costa Rica. The study finds that relying solely on VSS is not sufficient to promote a transition to more sustainable coffee production, as trade-offs between different SDGs emerge. Modifications in implementation are required to promote sustainable practices and ensure socio-economic benefits for producers, workers, and their families.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Otto Monge, Stefan Dullinger, Leonida Fusani, Christian H. Schulze
Summary: The expansion of agricultural activities in tropical regions has raised conflicts between food production and biodiversity conservation. Avian biodiversity in coffee farms is influenced by vegetation features related to cultivation intensity, with varying effects on different metrics and environmental contexts. There is no one-size-fits-all conservation strategy for birds in coffee-dominated landscapes.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Athina Koutouleas, Conor Blunt, Aljosa Bregar, Jon Kehlet Hansen, Anders Raebild, Herve Etienne, Frederic Georget
Summary: Interspecific grafting of Coffea arabica onto C. canephora can protect against nematode infestation under environmental stressors. However, this grafting method has negative effects on plant growth and yield.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Macarena San Martin Ruiz, Martin Reiser, Martin Kranert
Summary: Agriculture, specifically coffee monocultures, is a major source of N2O emissions due to increased demand for coffee leading to more production and fertilizer use. Study found that synthetic fertilizers can increase N2O emissions, with physical mixture fertilizer (F2) showing higher emissions than chemical fertilizer (F1). Further research is recommended to establish emission inventories.
Article
Economics
Raluca Dragusanu, Eduardo Montero, Nathan Nunn
Summary: This study examines the impact of Fair Trade (FT) certification on coffee producers and households in Costa Rica. The findings show that certification is associated with higher sales price, greater sales, and more revenues when global coffee prices are low. Certification also reduces the probability of mill closures and benefits farm owners with higher incomes. However, it has no effect on unskilled workers, who are the most disadvantaged group in the coffee sector.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Andrea Montero-Mora, Anthony Goebel -Mc Dermott
Summary: This paper presents new evidence on the energy balances and energy returns of the specialized agricultural systems in Costa Rica focused on coffee and sugarcane during the peak of the Green Revolution. The study demonstrates the changes in energy efficiency and the impact of agricultural practices on the environment. The findings highlight the potential benefits of mixed cropping and the importance of internal recirculating flows for ecosystem services.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Isabelle Hugoy, Cecilie Vindal Odegaard
Summary: This article examines the impact of the 2012-2013 coffee rust-epidemic on small-scale coffee farmers in Turrialba, Costa Rica, illustrating the perceptual shift in farmers' views of roya and their farming practices. It argues that a focus on interchanges between different knowledges is essential in addressing ecological alterations.
Article
Forestry
Cristina Chinchilla-Soto, Ana Maria Duran-Quesada, Mayela Monge-Munoz, Marco V. Gutierrez-Soto
Summary: This study proposed "Omega," the crop canopy coupling to the atmosphere, as an index of resilience and stability, and conducted observational measurements on sun-grown coffee fields. Results showed that coffee fields are carbon sinks throughout the year, with seasonality influencing the surface-atmosphere coupling. Estimated water use efficiency was consistent with independent studies and influenced by rainy season features.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Mohammad Ehsan Dulloo, William Solano, Dominique Dessauw, Carlos Astorga, Luigi Guarino
Summary: Good management of coffee collections is crucial for ensuring the long-term availability of germplasm and the sustainability of the coffee value chain. Coffee genetic resources are essential for crop improvement, but many wild arabica coffee resources are threatened and in need of protection and renovation.
FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Laura Brenes-Peralta, Maria Fernanda Jimenez-Morales, Rooel Campos-Rodriguez, Matteo Vittuari
Summary: The study analyzed the social performance of three agricultural products from Costa Rica using S-LCA, highlighting hotspots in the production phase related to farmers and workers. Results showed a generally positive social performance due to Costa Rican institutional and market frameworks, but identified issues with social security and women's empowerment in the farm production phase.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Conrado Tobon, L. Adrian Bruijnzeel
Summary: Tropical montane cloud forests receive additional water inputs from fog and wind-driven rain, leading to high soil moisture levels that promote rapid subsurface flow. Despite covering 6.6% of remaining montane tropical forests, the hydrological functioning of TMCF hillslopes has rarely been studied.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2021)
Article
Area Studies
Leonardo Weller
Summary: This article examines the different approaches of Costa Rica and Nicaragua towards foreign debt during the coffee market crisis in 1901. While Costa Rica suspended payments due to the strengthening legislative power, Nicaragua continued paying its debt and borrowed to build a military force.
JOURNAL OF LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
(2022)
Article
History
Andrea Montero, Marc Badia-Miro, Enric Tello
Summary: This article presents fresh improved aggregated data on coffee-growing regional specialization in Costa Rica between the 1950s to the 1980s and discusses the determinants of the expansion of that coffee cropping frontier with a model that combines environmental and geo-economic drivers. The results allow us to characterize the locations and understand the main drivers behind coffee regional specialization. The locations of coffee-growing expansion were conditioned by a dynamic interaction among first and second-nature factors whose importance changed over time within a complex social and agro-ecological fabric.
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Dela-Dem Doe Fiankor, Oliver-Ken Haase, Bernhard Bruemmer
Summary: This study utilizes a theory-based translog gravity model to investigate the impact of food standards on agricultural trade, finding that standards have a greater effect on countries with smaller trading volumes.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Gracia Maria Lanza Castillo, Alejandra Engler, Meike Wollni
Summary: The study proposes a socio-psychological model to examine the factors influencing the switch from traditional to pressurized irrigation among farmers. The results show that social pressure and social capital play important roles in promoting the adoption of pressurized irrigation technologies.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Denise Horner, Meike Wollni
Summary: Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) is a set of locally adapted soil fertility technologies and practices aimed at improving soil fertility, crop productivity and income for smallholder farmers. Adoption of core ISFM technologies is associated with increased labor demand and income from crops, but the impact on household welfare varies depending on farmers' income diversification strategies.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christian Messier, Juergen Bauhus, Rita Sousa-Silva, Harald Auge, Lander Baeten, Nadia Barsoum, Helge Bruelheide, Benjamin Caldwell, Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Els Dhiedt, Nico Eisenhauer, Gislene Ganade, Dominique Gravel, Joannes Guillemot, Jefferson S. Hall, Andrew Hector, Bruno Herault, Herve Jactel, Julia Koricheva, Holger Kreft, Simone Mereu, Bart Muys, Charles A. Nock, Alain Paquette, John D. Parker, Michael P. Perring, Quentin Ponette, Catherine Potvin, Peter B. Reich, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Florian Schnabel, Kris Verheyen, Martin Weih, Meike Wollni, Delphine Clara Zemp
Summary: As of 2020, the world has around 290 million hectares of planted forests, with 131 million hectares being monoculture forests. Monoculture forests provide timber but lack biodiversity and are more vulnerable to disturbances compared to diverse planted forests. Scientific evidence shows that functionally and species diverse planted forests are more resilient and provide greater ecosystem services. Promoting diverse planted forests requires raising awareness, incentivizing diversity in afforestation programs, developing new wood-based products, investing in research, and expanding the evidence base in under-represented regions.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Denise Hoerner, Meike Wollni
Summary: This study finds that the core practices of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) and their combinations can improve land and labor productivity, as well as increase net crop value. Despite higher labor demand, the joint use of all three practices has the greatest effects. Additionally, the study suggests that the combination of organic fertilizer with improved seeds may be more beneficial compared to combinations with inorganic fertilizer.
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Katrin Rudolf, Nina Hennings, Michaela A. Dippold, Edi Edison, Meike Wollni
Summary: The study estimated the relationship between EFB mulching and yields, soil properties in smallholder oil palm plantations, and analyzed the determinants of smallholders' EFB application. Results showed that regional EFB supply and farmers' wealth were correlated with smallholder EFB mulching, which was associated with higher yields and SOC contents. Promoting EFB mulching as best management practice could contribute to more sustainable oil palm systems.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Bernhard Dalheimer, Christoph Kubitza, Bernhard Bruemmer
Summary: This study finds that smallholder technical efficiency is low, with potential land savings, but the rebound effect may offset half of the land saving potential.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Development Studies
Jennifer Provost, Gabriel Rosero, Bernhard Brummer, Eva Schlecht
Summary: This study investigates the different approaches taken by pastoral and sedentary milk producers in the Northwest region of Cameroon after a disruption in the dairy supply chain. The results show that livestock diversity, land titles, and dairy-focused trainings are helpful for sedentary producers to continue milk sales, while pastoral sellers are encouraged by greater access to production factors and cooperative membership. Younger producers in non-urban areas are generally more likely to remain milk sellers, regardless of their production system.
Article
Business, Finance
Denise Hoemer, Adrien Bouguen, Markus Froelich, Meike Wollni
Summary: In most of Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural extension models have become more decentralized and participatory, relying on effective farmer-to-farmer learning. The study found that farmer-to-farmer extension and video intervention can increase adoption and knowledge of complex technology packages, especially for farmers not actively participating in extension activities. The results suggest that additional video intervention has a reinforcing effect on information diffusion and promotes adoption of integrated packages among farmers.
WORLD BANK ECONOMIC REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Felix Sebastian Riera, Bernhard Bruemmer
Summary: This study evaluates the environmental performance of winegrowers in Mendoza province facing the threat of high salinity content in irrigation water. The results show that participating in producer groups, receiving technical assistance, increasing vineyard density, and receiving energy subsidies for irrigation can improve environmental efficiency. Soil characteristics and excessive irrigation have negative effects on environmental and economic performance.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Katrin Rudolf, Edi Edison, Meike Wollni
Summary: Payments for ecosystem services (PES) can encourage land owners to manage their land in a biodiversity-friendly way. Little knowledge exists about which incentives are most likely to generate desired landscape patterns. A study with Indonesian oil palm farmers found that both size threshold payment and agglomeration payment were similarly effective in the absence of communication, but communication increased conservation outcomes only under the size threshold payment.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Development Studies
Fatima Olanike Kareem, Inmaculada Martinez-Zarzoso, Bernhard Bruemmer
Summary: This paper investigates the reasons for the rejection of Africa's food exports at the European Union borders due to non-compliance with EU food safety standards. The study finds that poor trade facilitation measures, particularly inefficient border and food logistics procedures in African countries, contribute to the high incidence of food rejection. The results suggest that African governments can address this issue by strengthening domestic institutions, improving logistics and border procedures, and aligning food standards with international ones.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Economics
Muhammad Bilal, Bernhard Brummer, Jan Barkmann
Summary: This study examines the link between multinational brands' crop protection products and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the context of food security and responsible consumption and production. The findings suggest that adopting multinational brands' crop protection products can enhance food security and contribute to responsible farming practices. Additionally, promoting agricultural extension information through radio broadcasts is shown to be an effective policy option.
COGENT ECONOMICS & FINANCE
(2022)
Article
Business, Finance
Yuan Ma, Bernhard Bruemmer, Xiaohua Yu
Summary: Since joining the WTO, China has been exporting more agricultural products at lower tariff rates. However, the impact of WTO accession on China's agricultural productivity and technical efficiency is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of trade on China's agricultural production by analyzing productivity changes before and after 2001. The findings indicate that China's total factor productivity (TFP) has slightly increased after joining the WTO, and the traditional advantages of exports on agricultural productivity are being replaced by the competitive effect of imports.
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Gesa Busch, Tim Knoepfel, Achim Spiller, Bernhard Bruemmer, Clara Mehlhose
GERMAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
