Mitigations for Climate Change and Agricultural / Environmental Policies: The Costa Rican paradox

Transcription

1 Mitigations for Climate Change and Agricultural / Environmental Policies: The Costa Rican paradox Jean-François Le Coq a, Suyen Alonso b, Fernando Sáenz-Segura b, Denis Pesche c, European Association of Agricultural Economics (EAAE) 117 th Seminar of November, 2010 University of Hohenheim, Germany a : Centre de Coopération International en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) - Arena / CINPE; jflecoq@cirad.fr; b : Centro Internacional de Política Económica para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CINPE), Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA) ; c: Centre de Coopération International en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) - Arena ; Montpellier;

2 Outline of presentation Context of the research Focus of research Conceptual framework and methods Outcomes Conclusions

3 Context of the research Costa Rica is considered as a leading country in natural conservation and implementation in ecofriendly policies. Conservation area system (25 % of national territory) Participation to international CC agreement (since 1992); PES program (since 1997) 2007: commitment to be carbon neutral country in 2021 Nevertheless, agricultural policy has been oriented towards intensive agro-export activities and highly competitive enterprises. State withdrawal from agricultural commercialization and production support since 1980s Promotion of open-market economy (free trade agreement, tariff reduction, ) Indirect support to large export enterprises

4 Focus of the research Problem: The agricultural sector is called to play an important role to mitigate climate change. However, the integration of climate change issues into agricultural policy agenda is still limited and difficult. Objective of the research : Analyze the contradictory policy and disarticulation between the agricultural and environmental Costa Rican policy agendas: Costa Rican Paradox Research questions: Which are the determining factors behind the agricultural /environmental policy fragmentation in Costa Rica? Which relevant actors and institutions have played an important role in the evolution of agricultural policy agendas? Which recent initiatives have been implemented (and by who) to integrate these two conflicting policy agendas?

5 Conceptual and analytical framework We use a combination of two approaches: 1. A institutional change perspective using path dependency concept (North, 1990) and the mental model cognitive framework (Denzau and North, 1994) Hypothesis 1: The mental model of leading actors in the agricultural sector yielded a poor integration of the agricultural institutional framework into a dynamic environmental agenda, and thus it defined the current path dependency of the agricultural sector.

6 Conceptual and analytical framework (2) 2. Cognitive policy approach to understand the permanence of the policy referential (Muller, 2003). - Institutions, Interests and Ideas model (Hall, 1997; Surel, 1998) - Policy change as the result of actors strategy and interactions according to their policy action resources and cognitive characteristics (Hasenteufel, 2008). Hypothesis 2: The idea, interests and institutions were not converging in agricultural policy system of Costa Rica to include environmental and CC issues into the agricultural policy itself.

7 Methodology and data source (1) We used two sources of information: 1. Revision of secondary literature and first set of direct interviews 1.a. Review of legislative and policy documents of agricultural and environmental sectors to characterize both policy frameworks and institutions from the 50 s to nowadays. 1.b. Direct interviews with specific public officials and/or other actors that participated in the design of policies. to characterize both the national and sector policy referential, its contexts and evolution.

8 Methodology and data source (2) 2. Direct interviews of key representatives of indentified organizations at national and local level. To know their policy agenda, strategy, interests, and perceptions and positions / activities on specific agricultural and environmental issues. Treatment: - confrontation of interviews with secondary information's. - systematization of the information for 30 representative organizations of both agricultural and environmental sectors. - typology of representative actors according to their function, goals, perceptions and positions upon the policy agenda.

9 Outcome 1: A long term analysis of policy evolution in Costa Rica Cold war/protected economies International / Regional level: The end of Cold War. Consensus of Washington paradigm Earth Summit and others Import substitution policy Protection of primary and secondary sectors. Incipient development of tertiary sector. National level: Economic crisis free trade and Economic liberalization Export oriented Economic diversification Agriculture Large development of supporting State organizations, namely the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), the National Production Council (CNP), and the Agrarian Development Agency (IDA), among others. A wide range of State-funded programs National sector levels: The adoption of structural adjustment polices. Incorporation of the sector into an open-market economy. Limited or no State interventions. Different crop booms. National food security plan. Environment Creation of AyA ( the Water and Sewage Institute). Forrestal Office as a surrogate unit of MAG. Creation of National parks system. Creation of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). Implementation of the program of PES Development of a Water agenda. National strategy for Climate Change.

10 Outcome 2: Representative actors in rural sector - Traditional actors - Types of actors Goals and functions principal agenda and orientations Influence on agricultural agenda relationships with government Business agriculture and agro-industry representation (Camaras) - promotion of agro-exportation - representation of interests of agribusiness enterprises - Negotiation of free trade agreements (pro-free trade) and national regulation framework affecting negatively competitiveness - competitiveness oriented agenda High to Fair Good Inter-professional representations (corporaciones) - promotion and representation of the specific commodity sector - management and regulation design of the specific sector - research and technical support - Negotiation of free trade agreement (pro-protection or pro-free trade according to products), - competitiveness oriented agenda Fair to High Good Cooperative movement - defense and promotion of cooperative farmers and local cooperatives, - promotion of cooperativism principles -Negotiation of terms of free trade agreement (pro-protection) - Competiveness oriented and prone to social oriented agenda Fair Good to fair National small and medium farmers syndical organizations - defense and representation of small and medium farmers interests - policy incidence - opposition to deregulation and free trade agreements, - promotion of small scale agriculture - pro-poor and food security or sovereignty oriented agenda Limited to very limited Bad to fair

11 Outcome 2: Representative actors in rural sector - Emerging actors - Types of actors Goals and functions principal agenda and orientations influence on agricultural agenda relationship with government Agro-ecologist agriculture representatives - promotion of agro-ecological agriculture (organic farming, agro forestry system) - representation of interests and supports services to organic and agro-forestry farmers and their local organizations - development of specific institutional support to organic and agro forestry system Limited (very specific thematic) Fair consulted on specific issue Rural development representatives - Promotion of local economic activities linked with agriculture (rural community tourism, local small processing, ) - Representation of interests and direct supports to local organizations - development of specific institutional support - pro-poor, small business oriented agenda limited to very limited Fair Consulted on specific issue Specific groups representatives - Representation specific interests of their groups / policy incidence - supports services to their groups - recognition of specific rights of their groups - promotion of specific programs dedicated to their groups limited to fair influence (specific thematic) Fair Consulted on specific issue Conservationists - Defense of natural species and habitat - Denunciation of environmental problems and policy influence - negotiation of environmental laws and programs - pro-conservations very limited Consulted mainly conflictive

12 Emerging agricultural and rural actors Traditional agricultural actors Outcome 2: perception and position on environnemental issue (mental model) Actors types Dominant perception of environmental issue Position on envir. issue and agenda Business agriculture and agro-industry representation Environment as a restriction to competitiveness of agricultural sector defensive position Inter-professional representations Environment as a restriction to competitiveness of agricultural sector mainly defensive position Cooperative movement Environment as a restriction to competitiveness, or as a additional constraints to small producers mainly defensive position National small and medium farmers syndical organizations Environment as an additional constraints for small scale farmers ; and as a necessity, as a way of life for small scale farmers production model Defensive to proactive in specific theme Agro-ecologist agriculture representatives Environment as necessity and as an opportunity to generate economic activities proactive position Rural development representatives Environment as a necessity and as an opportunity to generate economic activities proactive position Specific groups representatives Environment as a citizen necessity and as part of the traditional value proactive position Conservationists Environment as a citizen necessity Reactive position

13 Output 3 : public actors initiatives 2004: Agro-environmental technical cooperation agenda 2005: sustainable agricultural production program 2006: Law on promotion of organic agriculture 2009: compensation for environmental benefit (RBA) 2010 : RBAO

14 Traditional agricultural actors Emerging agricultural and rural actors Outcome 3: initiatives of private and associative groups Actors types Business agriculture and agro-industry representation Initiatives to promote environmental and CC integration in agricultural sector creation of a environmental committee to discuss environmental law proposals eco-friendly certification and carbon balance studies Inter-professional representations Support to reforms of processing units (energy and water use and pollution reduction); pilot project of specific PES for Sylvo-pastoril system Cooperative movement National small and medium farmers syndical organizations Agro-ecologist agriculture representatives Rural development representatives Specific groups representatives Conservationists Promotion of adoption of eco-friendly label promotion of Environmental Friendly Practices Participation to biodiversity law design, negotiation of PES Training on environmental issue, Elaboration of the law to support to organic agriculture and promotion of compensation mechanisms for environmental benefit (RBA); pilot compensation mechanism for C sequestration in soil; Negotiation PES modality for tree planting in agro-forestry system; specific compensation for Environmental Services Projects promotion of a agro-tourism agenda Negotiation of specific modality for PES access to indigenous peoples Denunciation of environmental damage promotion of technology for C emission reduction toward rural peoples

15 Conclusion (1) The paradox of the low integration of environmental issue and especially CC in the agricultural sector policies appears as a case of path dependency that is rooted in 4 elements: 1) the change of institutional framework and the adoption of a global liberal policy referential in late 80s-early 90s that led to a dichotomy between agricultural and environmental policy agendas; 2) the diversity and conflicting interests among representative actors of the agricultural sector, 3) the limited integration of the environmental issues in the mental model of the leading representatives of agricultural sector; 4) the asymmetry of power between the traditional and emerging organizations

16 Conclusion (2) Nevertheless, the panorama is recently changing the raise of CC issue in the Costa Rican society, the integration of CC in the global policy referential blossoming of initiatives that integrate of environmental or CC issue in agriculture production. But still limitations : the poor integration in the national leading agricultural leaders mental model of environmental issues, limited access to funds and the lack of conducive institutional environment, the lack of coordination and connections between the different initiatives. The widening the gap between the traditional national representative leader s organisations, and the enterprises and local organizations they represent.

17 Conclusion (3) To contribute in the solution of this paradox, we suggest to foster evolution of mental model by: 1) the design of a specific national strategy of CC for agriculture, 2) the systematic integration of CC in specific policy document of agricultural sector, 3) the construction of an agro-environmental agenda that takes into account the existing initiatives

18 Thank You