Cómo las Comunidades Cafetaleras Pueden Adaptarse al Cambio Climático: Experiencias y Lecciones de Costa Rica

This case study by the World Resources Institute (WRI) examines climate adaptation strategies for coffee-farming communities in Costa Rica, focusing specifically on the Coto Brus region. It identifies key resilience factors, provides six strategic recommendations for the sector, and highlights successful adaptation practices in other Latin American coffee-producing countries.

• Global climate change is projected to reduce areas suitable for coffee cultivation by 50% by the year 2050 if adaptation measures are not implemented.
• In Coto Brus, Costa Rica, coffee cultivation represents 70% of the local economy, making the region highly vulnerable to climate change, which threatens the viability of Arabica coffee.
• Collective action through well-led cooperatives and associations enables farmers to share climate risk information, implement best practices, and reduce financial risks by pooling smaller contributions for larger investments.
• The 'Bandera Azul Ecológica' national program encourages environmentally friendly practices—such as agroforestry and improved soil and water management—which inherently increase producer resilience to climate shocks.
• WRI proposes six recommendations for a climate-resilient future: supporting local adaptation options with technical monitoring, establishing vulnerability baselines, mapping future coffee viability to explore transformational paths (like transitioning to vanilla, cocoa, or ecotourism), improving business management training, opening communication channels between institutions, and expanding peer-to-peer learning.
• Other Latin American countries demonstrate diverse adaptation tools: Colombia uses satellite-based weather index insurance; Guatemala employs models to predict suitable tree species for diversification and soil erosion mitigation; and Mexico's Sierra Madre de Chiapas region uses a multi-stakeholder strategy including differentiated payments for climate-friendly practices.

APA

World Resources Institute (2020). Cómo las Comunidades Cafetaleras Pueden Adaptarse al Cambio Climático: Experiencias y Lecciones de Costa Rica. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/how-coffee-farming-communities-adapt-climate-change-costa-rica-spanish.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Cómo las Comunidades Cafetaleras Pueden Adaptarse al Cambio Climático: Experiencias y Lecciones de Costa Rica. 2020. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/how-coffee-farming-communities-adapt-climate-change-costa-rica-spanish.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Cómo las Comunidades Cafetaleras Pueden Adaptarse al Cambio Climático: Experiencias y Lecciones de Costa Rica |date=October 2020 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/how-coffee-farming-communities-adapt-climate-change-costa-rica-spanish.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2020cmo, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Cómo las Comunidades Cafetaleras Pueden Adaptarse al Cambio Climático: Experiencias y Lecciones de Costa Rica}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = oct, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/how-coffee-farming-communities-adapt-climate-change-costa-rica-spanish.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }