Comercio de servicios ambientales y desarrollo sostenible en Centroamérica: Los casos de Costa Rica y El Salvador

This 1999 report analyzes the emergence of markets for global environmental services in Central America, focusing on the contrasting experiences of Costa Rica and El Salvador. It examines how these countries leverage international agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol and biodiversity conventions, to mobilize financial resources for conservation and sustainable development through mechanisms like carbon credits and biodiversity-friendly coffee certification.

• Costa Rica has established a comprehensive institutional framework to trade environmental services, positioning itself as a pioneer in the 'carbon market'. This includes the creation of the Oficina Costarricense de Implementación Conjunta (OCIC) and the use of Certified Tradable Offsets (CTOs) to sell greenhouse gas reduction credits to industrialized nations.
• Costa Rica's strategy for sustainable development is heavily reliant on the tourism and energy sectors, both of which require forest cover to remain viable. The country has shifted its economic structure away from traditional exports like coffee and bananas toward ecotourism, which saw visitor growth of 15% annually between 1987 and 1995.
• The Costa Rican government implemented a 'Payment for Environmental Services' (PSA) system, funded partly by a fuel tax, to remunerate landowners for forest conservation. By 1997, the state invested $14 million in this system, covering 6,500 hectares of reforestation and 79,000 hectares of secondary forest protection.
• In El Salvador, 'shade coffee' plantations (bosque cafetalero) serve as critical substitutes for natural forests, providing essential environmental services such as water regulation and biodiversity habitats. However, these areas are under pressure from urban expansion and low profitability, leading to land-use conversion.
• El Salvador is implementing a pilot project for 'biodiversity-friendly coffee' supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. This project aims to create a certification (ECO-OK) to allow producers to access niche markets in the US where consumers are willing to pay a premium for coffee that protects migratory bird habitats.
• Costa Rica's Joint Implementation (AIJ) projects show a significant cost difference between forestry and energy projects. Net costs for sequestering one metric ton of carbon in forestry projects (e.g., CARFIX at $2.12) are much lower than in energy projects (e.g., Aeroenergía at $900), though the latter are limited by a 2001 baseline for fossil fuel elimination.
• El Salvador's coffee sector has seen a dramatic decline in economic importance, with its contribution to the GDP falling from nearly 10% in 1981 to less than 3% in 1997. This decline is attributed to fluctuating international prices and a lack of value-added strategies.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Comercio de servicios ambientales y desarrollo sostenible en Centroamérica: Los casos de Costa Rica y El Salvador. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/prismafullrprt_s.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Comercio de servicios ambientales y desarrollo sostenible en Centroamérica: Los casos de Costa Rica y El Salvador. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/prismafullrprt_s.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Comercio de servicios ambientales y desarrollo sostenible en Centroamérica: Los casos de Costa Rica y El Salvador |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/prismafullrprt_s.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndcomercio, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Comercio de servicios ambientales y desarrollo sostenible en Centroamérica: Los casos de Costa Rica y El Salvador}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/prismafullrprt_s.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }