Argentina - CENIT

• Environmental Management and Innovation in Argentine Industry: Determinants and Policy Implications - Full Report
  The possibility of fostering a sustainable development process depends, to a significant extent, on the environmental activities undertaken by firms. While in industrialized countries these activities are mostly carried out in response to environmental regulations and market incentives, the importance and the incentives for allocating resources to environmental activities in developing countries are not yet well established. In this Argentine case, the impact of the Convertibility program and structural reforms on economic and social development issues during the 1990s has been largely analyzed, with attention to environmental activities by private firms.

• The Adoption of Transgenic Crops in Argentine Agriculture: An Open-ended Story - Summary
  This study looks at the impacts, mostly in terms of economic effects, but also to some extent looking at social and environmental effects, of Argentina's unprecedented mass adoption of genetically modified soy. It also examines the regulatory system in Argentina for approval of such crops, assessing its strengths and weaknesses.

• Environmental Improvements Without Environmental Policies: Argentine Agriculture and Manufacturing Exports in the 1990s - Full Report (Español) - Summary (English / Español)
  This study looks at Argentina's experience with unilateral liberalization, and the impacts on two sectors: agriculture in the Pampas region and manufacturing. It finds that, contrary to expectations, liberalization has not led to a cleaner pattern of manufacturing exports. In agriculture, however, it finds that the rapid expansion of production has actually been accompanied by a number of unplanned environmental benefits, mainly because of the additional resources available to growers under a liberalized regime, and the new technologies they have adopted.

Chile - RIDES

• Green Markets: Often A Lost Opportunity For Developing Countries - Full Report - Summary
  Chile (CIPMA/RIDES): This study comprises two case studies: organic wine and eco-labelled forest products. In both cases it looks at the prospects for exports to the EU—the biggest potential market—trying to assess the barriers posed by the EU's certification systems. It also looks at the domestic institutions for supporting the two products, concluding that the deficits in this area are more of a barrier than the EU systems.

Costa Rica - CINPE

• The relationship between trade and sustainable development of agriculture in Central America - Full Report - Summary
  The study characterizes the evolution in trade of agricultural products in Central America and provides insight on how to remove environmental impacts of production and provide support systems for agricultural and trade systems that promote conservation of natural resources. It concludes that strengthening institutional support of sustainable agricultural systems, cooperation among environmental and agricultural departments with proposed recommendations for multilateral trade rules that can benefit sustainable agriculture in Central America.

El Salvador - PRISMA

• Trade, Environmental Services and Sustainable Development in Central America: The Cases of Costa Rica and El Salvador - Full Report (Español) - Summary (English / Español)
  This study looks at two cases. The first is about the export of shaded coffee from El Salvador. Shaded coffee provides striking environmental benefits, including biodiversity conservation and soil erosion control. But the rules of international trade do not allow importing countries to discriminate against the more damaging traditionally cultivated coffee. The second case is about the potential for trade in environmental services, particularly in the context of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Countries like Costa Rica and others in Central America are exploring whether they can benefit from maintaining considerable land under forest—or restoring land to forest cover—and be rewarded for the environmental services thus provided. The Kyoto Protocol provides for a market reward for carbon fixation, but may not prove acceptable under the current interpretation of WTO agreements.

Other Related Research

• Coffee, Conservation, and Commerce in the Western Hemisphere
  This report by the Natural Resources Defense Council gives an overview of the role coffee plays in Latin American economies. It also contrasts shaded coffee and plantation coffee, and looks at policy options to promote sustainable coffee production in the region.

• Measuring Consumer Interest in Mexican Shade-grown Coffee: An Assessment of the Canadian, Mexican and U.S. Markets
  This report presents the findings of a market analysis measuring consumer interest in, and potential demand for, Mexican shade-grown coffee in North America. This report on the consumer side of shade-grown coffee complements the work of the authors (The Commission for Environmental Cooperation) in developing environmentally-sound and sustainable production criteria.

• The Kyoto Protocol and the WTO
  This brief paper covers the key issues that might cause friction between the WTO rules of international trade and the Kyoto Protocol. It was produced as a result of an IISD-RIIA workshop at the WTO Seattle Ministerial.

Workshop Papers and Reports

• Proceedings of the TKN Phase I Central America Workshop: Comercio y Medio Ambiente: Hacia una verdadera agenda centroamericana (Español)
  Report of the Regional Forum on Trade and the Environment
  Held in San Salvador, July 7-10, 1999
  Organized by SG-SICA, CCAD, IISD, IDRC and IUCN