Economic value of tropical forest to coffee production

This study estimates the value of tropical forest in supplying pollination services to agriculture, specifically coffee. Using pollination experiments along replicated distance gradients, we found that forest-based pollinators increased coffee yields by 20% within ≈1 km of forest and improved coffee quality. During 2000–2003, pollination services from two forest fragments (46 and 111 hectares) translated into ≈$60,000 (U.S.) per year for one Costa Rican farm. This value is commensurate with expected revenues from competing land uses and far exceeds current conservation incentive payments. Conservation investments in human-dominated landscapes can therefore yield double benefits: for biodiversity and agriculture.

Date:
2016
Publisher:
PNAS
Author(s):
Taylor H. Ricketts, Gretchen C. Daily, Paul R. Ehrlich, Charles D. Michener
Details:
Publication, 4pages
Language:
English
Topic:
Agriculture, Biodiversity, Forests