The physical and socio-economic setting: the northern Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica

Abstract

The biophysical and socio-economic setting of the northern part of the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica, insofar as relevant for the other chapters of this book, is described. The flat topography, the perhumid tropical climate, and the soils that vary considerably in fertility and drainage conditions, are important biophysical factors that influence land use. From a socio-economic point of view, the area is characterized by its colonization history, an expanding but still limited road infrastructure outside the main regional centres, and agricultural practices dominated by large plantations and cattle holdings, along with a large number of smallholders both inside and outside state-organized settlements. Abolishment of subsidies for basic grains in the 1980s and the increasing exposure to world markets led to important changes in land use. Salient development issues in the area concerning questions of land use include: unequal land distribution between small and medium farm holdings on the one hand, and large cattle farms and banana plantations on the other; conflicts about forest use and protection; intensive use of agro-chemicals; greenhouse gas emissions; and low, sometimes declining, productivity of agriculture in certain parts of the region as a result of improper resource management.