Copyright (c) 2020 Revista de Investigación Agraria y Ambiental
Ecosystems services : perceptions from the coffee producers in Belen de Umbría, Risaralda, Colombia
Contextualization: In Risaralda, Colombia, coffee production systems have been characterized by production models that follow factors such as climate conditions, topography and producer needs. For the population, ecosystem services are those that come from the nature, which have traditionally been related to an increase in productivity, and a more enjoyable landscape with recreation activities, among other benefits. Members of the High-Quality Coffee Association “Cuchilla de San Juan”, from Belen de Umbria, Risaralda, have seen a detriment in said benefits such as low productivity, increase of pests and diseases, among others.
Research Gap: The relevance of ecosystem services, seen through the producer’s perspective, has rarely been considered in the case of coffee production systems. Determining this relevance becomes a major information source for decision making. This could reveal more comprehensive perspectives in regards of the territory that cover the environmental, economic and cultural spheres.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the most relevant ecosystem services for 15 coffee producers.
Methodology: multi-criteria analysis for prioritization and qualification; for data collection, workshops with the producers were implemented.
Results and conclusion: The results show that regulation services had the highest qualification (water regulation and soil conservation), followed by supply services (food and nutrients supply). Also, through meetings, management strategies have been development to improve management decisions and improve ecosystems services to coffee production systems.
Copyright (c) 2020 Revista de Investigación Agraria y Ambiental
