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Talamanca ProjectSustainable Farming in TalamancaIn Talamanca, on Costa Rica's Atlantic Coast, small farmers are learning sustainable cocoa farming in a program conducted by CATIE, the major agricultural research and training site in Central America. Farmers are learning to manage cocoa production on their farms according to sound ecological production principals that promote biodiversity while at the same time assure a sustainable source of family income. Talamanca is ideal for cocoa production on small farms, where the native Latin mestizos and Afrocaribbean groups make their living from small farms, generally 1 to 1.5 hectares in size (approx. 2.5-3.7 acres) which produce 150-250 kilos (330-550 pounds) of cocoa beans. VIDEO: Agroforestry in Action (1 Min.)Eduardo Somarriba, Ph.D., Agroforestry Specialist, CATIE Teaching Agroforestry to FarmersAgricultural researchers such as Eduardo Somarriba of CATIE teach local farmers how to design diverse shade canopies for their cocoa farms. Improving the biodiversity of the family farm can also improve the family income. Indigenous farmers in Talamanca are learning the best ways to grow cocoa sustainably. Agroforestry experts help the farmers determine the best mix of tree crops for sustainable growing to assure a consistent income from their farms.
VIDEO: Designing the Shade Canopy (1 Min.)Allen M. Young, Ph.D., Milwaukee Public Museum
Mechete TechnologyFarmers learn to manage their farms and maintain their cocoa trees using low-cost "machete technology" - harvesting ripe cocoa pods weekly while cutting away pods with any sign of disease to prevent it from spreading. Increased ProductivityAgricultural specialists teach farmers to graft their trees for increased
production. The specialists also provide access to improved varieties
of cocoa trees with better pest and disease resistance, thanks to years
of research funded by the World Cocoa Foundation and other organizations.
In addition, farmers learn how to improve post-harvest practices of
fermentation, drying and even marketing of their cocoa beans.
The Importance of TalamancaTalamanca is critically important to biodiversity conservation, and
is in a designated "biodiversity hotspot" region identified by Conservation
International. Talamanca lies in two key biological corridors - the
regional Talamanca-Caribbean Biological Corridor and the larger
Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. It is an area that still
harbors a rich diversity of plant and animal life. VIDEO: Sustainable Farming: Habitats for Wildlife (30 Sec.)Allen M. Young, Ph.D., Milwaukee Public Museum Buffer ZoneA well-managed, biodiverse cocoa farm serves as a buffer zone between the rainforest and more developed areas. The shade canopy of the cocoa agroforest provides a habitat for many animals, including migratory songbirds. The Riches of NaturesThe area's rich plant life includes more than 1000 orchid species and
nearly 1000 different types of ferns. The rich diversity of animal species
ranges from the spectacular Morpho butterfly and poison arrow tree frog
to the three-toed sloth and the black-faced tamarin, as well as more
than 350 types of birds.
Cocoa ResearchResearchers are experimenting with new bio-control measures such as a "good" fungus that may help fight monilia pod rot, a fungus that destroyed much of Costa Rica's cocoa trees in the 1980s. Environmentally friendly techniques such as plant breeding and beneficial organisms can help farmers reduce the need for expensive chemical pesticides. VIDEO: Bringing Science to the Jungle (1 Min.)Eduardo Somarriba, Ph.D., Agroforestry Specialist, CATIE
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