Economic-ecological impacts of coffee growing: A multiregional analysis for Chapada Diamantina region, Bahia

Abstract

This study aims to assess the economic-ecological impacts of coffee growing of Chapada Diamantina, located in the Brazilian state of Bahia, within the context of the local, state, and national production structure. The intensity coefficients of the use of ecological commodities are quantified by using a multiregional input-output model in order to measure the use of environmental resources, as well as the generation of by-products and waste from the sector, for the year 2017. The objective is to understand whether the local impacts differ from those in other regions, given the predominance of special coffee growing (organic and gourmet). The main results show that, generally, the use of ecological commodities in the economy of Bahia and Brazil is mainly driven by the agricultural and livestock sectors, as well as the “Other food products” and “Biofuel manufacturing” sectors. In Chapada Diamantina, the "Coffee" sector stands out in terms of input usage and waste production (mainly biomass), and the "Forestry production, fishing, and aquaculture" sector stands out in the return of environmental assets (greenhouse gas removals and preserved native vegetation). It was observed that the special coffee segment in Chapada Diamantina presents differentiated economic-ecological impacts as compared to other coffee-growing regions in the state, considering the presence and dynamics of organic cultivation and the small family production integrated into the global special coffee markets, presenting potential for adopting strategies aligned with climate adaptation of conventional economic practices.