Rice Production Conflicts in the
Tempisque-Bebedero Watershed
Charlie NealisElise KarpinskiGentry ManderNalowa Malafa
Cultural Significan
ce
Payment for EcosystemServices
International
Trade
Environment
and Agriculture
National/Local
Economy
Incoherence with International Trade Policy
•o Neoliberalism v. Protectionism
COMEX CONARROZ
Ideological difference
CONARROZ
•a public entity, created by law, privately funded and administered
•protect and promote rice industry
•recommends the price controls to MEIC
•sole authority to import rice, tariff free, when supply is not met
•sells imported rice at domestic price
COMEX-Ministry of Foreign Trade
•promote involvement in global economy
•ensure compliance with trade obligations
•developing infrastructure and adopting technology to increase competitiveness
•correct any measures that prevent implementation of trade obligations
World Trade Organization
•Agreement on Agricultureo Green Box - not trade-distorting
subsidieso Amber Box - trade-distorting
subsidies price supports tariffs
•Aggregate Measure of Supporto $15.95 milliono 2010 = $109.7 million
Allowed AMS v. Actual AMS
CAFTA-DR
•o elimination of tariffs
phase out process for rice
•Costa Rica liberalized everything BUT rice
Free Trade Agreement
Why the incoherence?
•
•CAFTA-DR: FTA is not fair because the US has not stopped subsidizing their rice farmers
WTO: AMS is outdated and unreasonable
Cultural Significan
ce
Payment for EcosystemServices
International
Trade
Environment
and Agriculture
National/Local
Economy
Socioeconomic Overview
• 40% of Costa Rica's rice producers produce 80% of domestic rice
• Heavy dependency on price control benefits
• 25% of Guanacaste is employed in agriculture
Incidence of Expenditures
Year Per Capita Income Quintiles
I Quintile II Quintile III Quintile IV Quintile V Quintile
2008 5.76% 2.99% 1.95% 1.20% 0.45%
2007 5.99% 3.05% 1.99% 1.22% 0.44%
2006 6.77% 3.27% 2.09% 1.27% 0.47%
2005 6.84% 3.34% 2.09% 1.28% 0.52%
2004 6.55% 3.09% 1.93% 1.18% 0.47%
Source: Calculations based on: INEC, (2009); CONARROZ (2009)
Opposition to Free Trade
Rice: A Cultural Identity
Food Security
• FAO Definition• Costa Rican Constitution• Counterarguments• ICESCR• CESCR• Food Sovereignty and its benefits
Cultural Significan
ce
Payment for EcosystemServices
International
Trade
Environment
and Agriculture
National/Local
Economy
Oryza sativa communis
•Several varieties for Costa Rica•4 stages of development–Seedling –Vegetative –Flowering–Ripening
Field Management
•Flooding regime–Different heights, different stages –Total requirement: 5-9 acre-feet•Irrigated fields 24% more productive than rainfed
Rice in the Tempisque Basin
•2 cropping cycles a year-January to May, July to November•Harvest time 110-140 days•Fertilizer: 184 kg/Ha? N, P, K, Zn-Application timing and records?•Clay Soils, pH 7, stable 30 degrees C•Herbicides, Pesticides, Fungicides•Rice straw management
Why is rice here important?
• 45% national rice production• Yield: 7.66 t/Ha vs. 3.52 t/Ha
nationwide• 60% rice consumed in CR is from CR
What should rice producers do?
•Fertilizer–Application rates based on soil tests and
recommendations•100lbs initial then 45 lbs N/acre, 50lbs
P/acre (US)–Water level management•More than 1-2” season long
Effects of Agriculture on Palo Verde
•Little to no nutrients in effluent from Rice•Little to no agrochemicals in effluent from
Rice•What about tilapia, melons, sugarcane,
etc?•So everyone should grow rice… right?
Sustainable Rice Production
•For profit and for environment•Leave the straw on the field•Apply agrochemicals as needed•Base fertilization on water/soil test•Rotate crops for production, pest, and disease management•Proper water management
What does this mean for Tempisque?
•Because of their location in the basin, rice paddies can:
–Offer alternative habitats/buffer zones–Increase biodiversity–Control flooding and erosion–Increase GW recharge–Be nutrient sinks for drainage canal
water•Remove 56% TN, 68%TP (Bhandari, 2011)•Treat a lot of water!
Recommendations
1. Soil and water testing in field, in incoming water, and in effluent2. Use drainage canals for water and provide proper irrigation and flooding regimes3. Incorporate BMPs and NMPs while involving CONARROZ in the training and reevaluation process
Cultural Significan
ce
Payment for EcosystemServices
International
Trade
Environment
and Agriculture
National/Local
Economy
Payment for Ecosystem Services
PES is:A voluntary transaction in which a well-defined environmental service (ES), or a form of land use likely to secure that service is bought by at least one ES buyer from a minimum of one ES provider if and only if the provider continues to supply that service (conditionality)
-Sven Wunder
A Four Step Plan
Step One: Identifying Ecosystem Service Prospects & Potential BuyersChecklist:
Define, measure, and assess the ecosystem service being provided in a particular area
Determine marketable value Identify potential buyers who benefit from
the service Consider whether to sell as individuals or
as a group
A Four Step Plan
Step Two: Assessing Institutional & Technical Capacity
Step Three: Structuring AgreementStep Four: Implement PES Agreement
Questions?