The development of agricultural food markets in Costa Rica and the influence of the diffusion of supermarkets

Abstract: During the past thirty years the world has witnessed remarkable developments in agricultural markets in various parts of the world along with several obstacles in reducing global poverty rates. Previous research suggests that the inclusion of small-scale producers into agricultural economies is crucial for sustaining growth and reducing poverty. We argue that the agricultural structural transformation of Costa Rica’s agrarian economy has been successful in developing linkages and initiatives that are conducive for growth, market expansion and competitiveness. Nonetheless, we maintain that several obstacles remain in completing the transformation in agriculture seeing as a substantial part of the agricultural population is disconnected to the dynamic agricultural food markets in the country. We contrast the developments in agricultural food markets in Costa Rica with the diffusion of supermarkets in the country and suggest that the most effective drivers of change are likely to be those possessing local knowledge.