Building a Climate Resilient Future for Costa Rica’s Coffee Farming Communities

This case study by the World Resources Institute examines climate change threats to coffee farming in Costa Rica, focusing on the Coto Brus region. It identifies a critical gap between the awareness of sustainable practices and the implementation of long-term transformative adaptation, recommending a shift from incremental adjustments to systemic changes to ensure the sector's viability by 2050.

• Climate projections indicate that by 2050, up to 50% of the land currently suitable for coffee cultivation in the Coto Brus region could become unsuitable, regardless of whether low or high emissions pathways occur. While some locations may see increased suitability, central areas are expected to be more negatively impacted.
• There is a significant implementation gap in climate adaptation among Coto Brus coffee farmers. Although there is broad awareness of sustainable practices, few farmers integrate adaptation into their formal planning, with smallholders possessing limited resources being the most disadvantaged.
• The coffee sector is currently relying on short-term, incremental adjustments that may be insufficient for long-term survival. The document argues for 'transformative adaptation,' which involves fundamental changes such as altering the production landscape, employing new technologies at scale, or shifting the mix of crops and livestock.
• To increase resilience, the study recommends six primary actions: promoting stakeholder-identified adaptation options (like diversifying income and using resilient coffee varieties), establishing monitoring baselines, mapping future viability to support farmers shifting away from coffee, developing tailored business education, expanding peer-to-peer learning, and improving communication between public and private entities regarding financing and risks.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Building a Climate Resilient Future for Costa Rica’s Coffee Farming Communities. https://www.wri.org/research/building-climate-resilient-future-costa-ricas-coffee-farming-communities

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Building a Climate Resilient Future for Costa Rica’s Coffee Farming Communities. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/building-climate-resilient-future-costa-ricas-coffee-farming-communities.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Building a Climate Resilient Future for Costa Rica’s Coffee Farming Communities |url=https://www.wri.org/research/building-climate-resilient-future-costa-ricas-coffee-farming-communities |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendbuilding, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Building a Climate Resilient Future for Costa Rica’s Coffee Farming Communities}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/building-climate-resilient-future-costa-ricas-coffee-farming-communities}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }