The objective is to identify the drivers of the adoption of sustainable land management practices by coffee farmers in Costa Rica
We believe that current coffee farming systems in Costa Rica are having an significant adverse environmental impact. Policy makers need to better understand the drivers of the adoption of sustainable land management practices to be able to efficiently use their scarce resources to promote more widespread diffusion or these practices. ICAFE, the parastatal coffee trade association and research institute in Costa Rica, has already expressed strong interest in this proposed research, as well as a willingness to provide its support and “good offices.”
This research will contribute to the substantial econometric literature on the adoption of sustainable management practices in developing agriculture (Pattanayak et al. 2003; Mercer 2004). To our knowledge, ours would be the first published econometric study of the adoption of such practices by coffee growers. The research will also contribute to the growing literature on coffee certification. To our knowledge, ours would also be the first published econometric study of coffee certification.
