Authors
Paulina Sicius, Stephanie Pau, Mike Nelson
Publication date
2016
Description
Coffee is the most important agricultural product in international trade, therefore, the spread of the coffee leaf rust disease is of economic, social, environmental significance. To understand these effects, I first had to understand the economics of coffee growing by collecting and analyzing data on the production costs of coffee, something that there is little to no information about. Additionally, it was important to understand how knowledge systems worked to circulate information to farmers. To do this, I read and translated all the information by ICAFE, Costa Rica’s primary coffee organization. We found that coffee production costs are extremely high, and for the most part above the coffee sea level. These costs were magnified with the coffee leaf rust disease. In terms of the knowledge systems in Costa Rica, we found that information is mostly controlled by a single organization that promotes primarily chemical forms of fungus control. The effort in collecting the costs of production of coffee is to make the data widely known to those involved in the coffee economy and the general public. In Costa Rica, we have found very little circulation of information. By making this realization, we can start an effort to make more extensive information about controlling the leafrust disease more widespread.