Ecosystem services in certified and non-certified coffee agroforestry systems in Costa Rica

Abstract

Coffee agroforestry systems provide ecosystem services, the quality of which depends on the management carried out by coffee farmers. This study evaluated the provision of four ecosystem services (maintaining habitats, improving water quality, erosion control, and carbon stocks) on certified and non-certified coffee farms. We studied 30 coffee agroforestry systems located in Turrialba and Orosi using three different certification systems (Utz-Rainforest Alliance, Nespresso, Organic) and some without certification. Certified coffee agroforestry systems provide more ecosystem services than non-certified ones; however, on some non-certified coffee farms, different activities that provide ecosystem services were performed. Of the coffee farms evaluated, certified Organic farms had the highest conservation activities.