Ecological Function Assessment in the Colombian Andean Coffee-growing Region
Colombia (Andean Coffee-growing region)
Geographical coverage
| Geographical scale of the assessment | Sub-national |
|---|---|
| Country or countries covered | Colombia |
| Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name |
The Colombian coffee-region millennium ecosystem assessment was an ecological function assessment of the coffee-growing region of Colombia. This assessment was one of 33 sub-global assessments linked to the Millennium Ecosystem Asessment (MA), and it was the first ES assessment undertaken in the country. The objectives of the Colombian coffee-region assessment were to provide useful environmental information to institutions and decision-makers in the coffee-producing regions of Colombia.and also analyze information between ecosystem services, direct and indirect drivers of change, and human wellbeing. The coffee-growing region of Colombia is located on the three Andean mountain ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 meters above sea level. It encompasses an area of more than 3.6 million hectares (sensu lato) that extends along the entire Andean region, between 1 and 12° latitude north (from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the north to the department of Nariño in the south). Coffee is grown in 605 municipalities in the country (56% of the national total), and the industry involves 420,000 households and more than half a million agricultural productive units or farms. Around 870,000 hectares were devoted to coffee production and the average coffee farm size was near 2 ha. |
Geographical scale of the assessment
Sub-national
Country or countries covered
Colombia
Any other necessary information or explanation for identifying the location of the assessment, including site or region name
The Colombian coffee-region millennium ecosystem assessment was an ecological function assessment of the coffee-growing region of Colombia. This assessment was one of 33 sub-global assessments linked to the Millennium Ecosystem Asessment (MA), and it was the first ES assessment undertaken in the country. The objectives of the Colombian coffee-region assessment were to provide useful environmental information to institutions and decision-makers in the coffee-producing regions of Colombia.and also analyze information between ecosystem services, direct and indirect drivers of change, and human wellbeing. The coffee-growing region of Colombia is located on the three Andean mountain ranges between 1,000 and 2,000 meters above sea level. It encompasses an area of more than 3.6 million hectares (sensu lato) that extends along the entire Andean region, between 1 and 12° latitude north (from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the north to the department of Nariño in the south). Coffee is grown in 605 municipalities in the country (56% of the national total), and the industry involves 420,000 households and more than half a million agricultural productive units or farms. Around 870,000 hectares were devoted to coffee production and the average coffee farm size was near 2 ha.
Conceptual framework, methodology and scope
Assessment objectives
To undertake a spatial, temporal comparative study of several social, economic, demographic, and environmental variables at different scales, in order to highlight the direct and indirect drivers of ecosystem and human well-being change.
To analyse ecosystem services and human well-being of the region, in order to determine the needs and direction of sustainable development in the region.
Mandate for the assessment
Initially coordinated by two institutions: Cenicafé, the research branch of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia and the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resource Research Institute
Conceptual framework and/or methodology used for the assessment
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)
URL or copy of conceptual framework developed or adapted
System(s) assessed
- Forest and woodland
- Cultivated/Agricultural land
- Mountain
Species groups assessed
Ecosystem services/functions assessed
Provisioning
- Food
Regulating
- Erosion prevention
Supporting Services/Functions
- Habitat maintenance
- Soil formation and fertility
- Maintainence of genetic diversity
Cultural Services
- Recreation and tourism
Scope of assessment includes
Drivers of change in systems and services
Yes
Impacts of change in services on human well-being
Yes
Options for responding/interventions to the trends observed
No
Explicit consideration of the role of biodiversity in the systems and services covered by the assessment
Yes
Timing of the assessment
Year assessment started
2001
Year assessment finished
2004
If ongoing, year assessment is anticipated to finish
Periodicity of assessment
One off
Assessment outputs
Report(s)
Armenteras, D., Rincón, A. & Ortiz, N. (2004) Ecological Function Assessment in the Colombian Andean Coffee-growing Region. Sub-global Assessment Working Paper. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
18._Colombia_Subglobal_Report.pdf
Communication materials (e.g. brochure, presentations, posters, audio-visual media)
Journal publications
Training materials
Other documents/outputs
Tools and processes
Tools and approaches used in the assessment
- Geospatial analysis
- Indicators
- Social (non-monetary) valuation
- Stakeholder consultations, Response options
Process used for stakeholder engagement in the assessment process and which component
Workshops
Key stakeholder groups engaged
National Coffee Federation
The number of people directly involved in the assessment process
Less than 10
Incorporation of scientific and other types of knowledge
- Scientific information only
Supporting documentation for specific approaches, methodology or criteria developed and/or used to integrate knowledge systems into the assessment
Assessment reports peer reviewed
Yes
Data
Accessibility of data used in assessment
Partially available at www.cenicafe.org
Policy impact
Impacts the assessment has had on policy and/or decision making, as evidenced through policy references and actions
Lead to a follow on project GEF funded
Independent or other review on policy impact of the assessment
No
Lessons learnt for future assessments from these reviews
Communication difficulties specially in the inter phase policy/practitioners/scientists No funding to transfer on site knowledge learnt Lack of enough interdisciplinary
Capacity building
Capacity building needs identified during the assessment
Communications Scenarios
Actions taken by the assessment to build capacity
Fellowships/exchanges/secondments/mentoring programmes, Network and sharing experiences, Access to funding, Workshops
How have gaps in capacity been communicated to the different stakeholders
Knowledge generation
Gaps in knowledge identified from the assessment
Trade offs Impacts of policies on human well being Long term monitoring social, economic and biodiversity
How gaps in knowledge have been communicated to the different stakeholders
Some being address in current GEF project
