Las Relaciones Entre el Comercio y el Desarrollo Sostenible en la Agricultura de Centroamérica

This executive summary, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development in August 2003, analyzes the intersection of agricultural trade and sustainable development in Central America. It characterizes the region's agricultural structure, examines trade trends and projections, evaluates the environmental impacts of key agro-industrial activities, and discusses the role of international trade negotiations (WTO, CAFTA, and FTAA) in shaping support mechanisms for sustainable farming.

• Central American agriculture is divided into four distinct actor segments: small producers with limited resources producing for local markets; medium producers (including coffee, dairy, and poultry) often linked to export chains; agro-industrial companies focused on basic transformation; and transnational companies specializing in banana and pineapple production that control large land areas.
• The region's trade balance is consistently negative, with imports exceeding exports by approximately 50% on average. Projections for 2010 suggest a widening gap, with total imports estimated to reach $70 billion (a 218% increase) and exports reaching $31 billion (a 180% increase).
• Agricultural trade is characterized by a dependence on generic products and an increasing reliance on imported inputs for basic agro-industry, such as yellow corn and soy for poultry and powdered milk for the dairy industry. This creates a cycle where the region imports cheap inputs and high-value processed final products.
• Technological innovation in most crops has focused on the intensification of agrochemicals and fertilizers, leading to increased production costs, credit dependency, and water pollution. While sustainable technologies exist, their adoption is limited by a lack of knowledge and the perception of higher costs.
• Central American countries have significant unused capacity to provide agricultural support under WTO rules. While Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala provided the most aid in the late 1990s, these amounts are far lower than those provided by developed nations or Mexico. El Salvador's specific disbursement details were unavailable, and Honduras had not submitted a trade policy review.
• The document proposes that 'sustainable' products—defined as those that are environmentally friendly and produced under dignified human conditions without child or slave labor—should receive preferential treatment, including special quotas and inclusion in the Generalized System of Preferences.

APA

Pomareda, C., & Murillo, C. (2003). Las Relaciones Entre el Comercio y el Desarrollo Sostenible en la Agricultura de Centroamérica. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_sum_es.pdf

Chicago

Pomareda, Carlos, and Carlos Murillo. Las Relaciones Entre el Comercio y el Desarrollo Sostenible en la Agricultura de Centroamérica. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2003. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_sum_es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pomareda |first1=Carlos |last2=Murillo |first2=Carlos |title=Las Relaciones Entre el Comercio y el Desarrollo Sostenible en la Agricultura de Centroamérica |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2003 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_sum_es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pomareda2003las, author = {Pomareda, Carlos and Murillo, Carlos}, title = {{Las Relaciones Entre el Comercio y el Desarrollo Sostenible en la Agricultura de Centroamérica}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2003}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/tkn_trade_sd_agi_sum_es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }