An Approach to the Agrarian Social Metabolism of the Specialized Productive Space in Bananas and Cocoa in the Context of the Green Revolution. Costa Rica (1955-1973)

Abstract

This article aims to show the main socioecological transformations that occurred in the agricultural system of the Specialized Productive Space in banana and cocoa in Costa Rica between 1955 and 1973, at the height of the Green Revolution. Such transformations meant an increasing dependence on machinery and chemical inputs in the agroecosystems to the detriment of organic-based traditional agricultural systems. This analysis takes place in the Costa Rican region characterized by the 1955 Agricultural Census as specialized in banana and cocoa production and under the concept of Specialized Productive Spaces developed by the researchers. Such spaces produce one or two dominant crops developed for international marketing, while other productive and extractive activities also take place. We propose a retroprospective study to prove from the Social Metabolism approach and drawing from the flows-fund analysis and energy return rates, the different energy and material exchange logics that took place at the Specialized Productive Space in banana and cocoa.