Abstract

MARQUEZ ROMERO, Fanny et al. Environmental sustainability in coffee farms after an organic certification process at la convencion (Cusco, Perú. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2016, vol.15, n.2, pp.125-132. ISSN 1726-2216.  http://dx.doi.org/10.21704/rea.v15i2.752.

The aim of this study was to define the environmental sustainability of coffee farms after an organic certification process at La Convencion (Cusco, Peru). The Multi Criteria Analysis Method adapted for coffee farms was used; it was considered that sustainability is achieved when the General Environmental Indicator (IA) is> 2 points, a maximum of 4 points. A sample (n=61) was taken from the population of 1520 farms. Those responsible for the selected farms were surveyed in two stages, first when working with a conventional production system and then when they went to work with a certified organic production system, with a time interval of seven years. It was found out that organic production system achieved a higher General Environmental Indicator (AI = 2.71) than the one reached with conventional production system (AI = 2.08). The number of environmentally sustainable farms increased with organic certification process. 66.6% of the farms were environmentally sustainable when producing conventional coffee and seven years later, they were 91.10%. The coffee yield increased from 665.16 kg / ha (with the conventional system) to 858.38 kg / ha (with the organic system), which means a productivity increase of 29.04%. Coffee quality also improved from 80.64 points (with the conventional system) to 82.56 points (with the organic system). The organic production system achieved a higher Indicator of Economic Sustainability (IK = 2.06), than the one reached with the conventional production system (IK = 1.61).

Keywords : Environmental sustainability; organic production; family farming; agro-ecology; sustainability.

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