Certificaciones agrícolas en el sector agroexportador: barreras e impulsores en Costa Rica
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Abstract
Agricultural certifications have become key mechanisms for accessing and remaining in agro-export markets, although their implementation involves economic, organizational, and institutional challenges. The objective of this research was to analyze the main drivers, barriers, and organizational effects associated with the adoption and compliance with agricultural certifications in Costa Rica. A qualitative exploratory-interpretive study was developed, based on semi-structured interviews with actors in the agro-export system, including producers, export companies, certification agencies, institutions, and trade associations linked to certifications. The results show that the main driver is access to international markets and organizational strengthening associated with traceability and production management. However, the barriers are associated with implementation costs, technical requirements, and institutional limitations that condition permanence in certification schemes. It is concluded that certifications have evolved from instruments of differentiation to structural requirements for market access, becoming mechanisms of productive governance within agri-food chains. Consequently, their implementation requires sectoral strategies and public policies aimed at strengthening the productive, institutional, and competitive capacities of the agro-export sector.
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