EFE – Costa Rica, relying in part on US$1.2 million from the Inter-American Development Bank, will introduce new technology and methods to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in its coffee industry.
The project, Strengthening Competitiveness and Low-Carbon Performance, is expected to generate economic, environmental and social benefits, the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) said.
“The application of mitigation actions across the productive process will facilitate greater efficiency in the application of fertilizers … as well as changes in the system of water treatment and use of renewable energy for the drying process,” Deputy Minister Tania Lopez said in a statement.
Besides reducing the coffee sector’s greenhouse-gas emissions, the initiative aims to help more than 800 small-scale growers and processors.
The first phase will consist of trials to gauge the effectiveness of various technologies in curbing harmful emissions and reducing costs.
The results of those pilot programs will then be used to determine which technologies are best suited for Costa Rica in both economic and environmental terms.
Coffee is one of Costa Rica’s main exports. The Central American nation’s roughly 52,000 growers cultivate the bean on 93,000 hectares (229,629 acres). EFE