EXAMPLE DAIRY FARM BUDGETS TO GAUGE PASTURELAND PERFORMANCE OF THE SAN CARLOS REGION IN HUMID TROPICS OF COSTA RICA

Food security issues are a rising concern for many as world population growth increases and demand for food resources continues to grow. Demand in Central America for meat and milk products is increasing. Within Costa Rica, public attention has focused on deforestation, increases in acreage for pastureland, and the associated environmental impacts on water and soil quality. Pasturelands need to be more economically managed in order to meet the food security demands while limiting negative environmental impacts. In order to cope with the forage production challenges it is necessary to promote the use of tools and models that are capable of quantifying trade-off that occur between economy, sustainability and environment. In Costa Rica, dairy farms can integrate these social and environmental aspects into production decisions by incorporating socio-economic information into their decision-making. This study calculated costs of production to facilitate evaluation of tradeoffs under various management systems. While considering revenue streams and cash costs association with pasture management, farm managers may also want to consider factors like long-term soil productivity, soil compaction, and whether additional investments (i.e. walkways for cattle) may be warranted to preserve the future production potential of pastures. Although this field study is limited, by a one-year data collect, the research presented within this paper provides an extensive model that can be replicated and utilized to make effective management decisions for producers within San Carlos region of Costa Rica.