Agricultural competitiveness under a low carbon development pathway

Lessons learned from Costa Ricanagriculture

Climatechange

AgricultureFood

Security

Climatechange

FoodSecurity

Agriculture

ClimateChange

Foodsecurity

Agriculture

Availability Access

Consumption

Biologicalutilization

Local Production

Money from

exports

International Production

Global foodtrade system

Production of GHG

Temperature

PrecipitationReductionof GHG

Production of GHG

AGRICULTURE CAN FEED THE WORLDAND HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

But we need fundamental changes

Climate-smart agriculture

Eco-competitiveness

Productivity

Adaptation

Mitigation

1. GHG production in agriculture result fromsystem inefficiencies

Conceptual framework

Nitrogen

Proteín

N2O

Otherenviron-mental

fate

Productivity

Climatechange

For example,Nitrous oxide, N2O:

Nitrous oxide represents nitrogen

that did not contributeto productivity

Therefore, reducing GHG can increase efficiency

Cost

Productivity

2. Agricultural systems provide opportunitiesfor carbon sequestration

In trees

In soil

3. Mitigation strategies can improve adaptationto climate change

Water management

Microclimate modification

Nutrient management

Soil organic matter

Conceptual framework

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Making change feasible

From theory to practice: livestock

Shade

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

National average Pilot 2015 Pilot 2016

Animal load, Animal Units/Hectare

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

National Average Pilot 2015 Pilot 2016

Milk production, Tons per month per farm

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Carbon capture in forested area

Carbon capture in trees within pastures

Emissions (99% methane)

Ton

s o

f C

O2

eq

Carbon balance at farm level

From theory to practice: coffee

GOOD FERTILIZATION

PRACTICES:

sources and rates: reduction of N2O by35% without losing

productivity

GOOD FERTILIZATION

PRACTICES

To reduce N2O

emissions

AGROFORESTRY

SYSTEMS

A traditional practicewith benefits

The farm

Residual water treatment

Solid waste (pulp) management

The mill

Composting Gasification

CH4

CH4

N2O

N2O

GH

G T

on

/yea

r

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Oxidation pond Spray on pasture

Emis

sio

ns,

CO

2 e

q (

kg/2

58

kg

fru

it

Wastewater treatment

N2O

CO2

CH4

From theory to practice: the main players

Capacity building: 3000 + people trained 97 pilot farms/mills 16 education materials