23 November 2012: The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Germany’s international cooperation agency (GIZ) and Costa Rica’s Environment Ministry (MINAET) are assisting that country’s coffee, solid waste management and public transport sectors in preparing Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMAs) for their sectors to gain financing for reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The coffee NAMA, targeted to be fully prepared by the end of 2012 and implemented by mid-2013, is expected to be announced at the 18th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 18) to the UNFCCC underway in Doha, Qatar, from 26 November -7 December 2012.

IICA, GIZ and MINAET held a training workshop at IICA Headquarters for 40 representatives from the three national sectors in October 2012 to train them on the steps involved in putting together a NAMA, as set by the UNFCCC, and using it to get financing. All three sectors pledged to prepare NAMAs.

Since the October workshop IICA and GIZ have been advising the coffee sector on the structuring and implementation plans for its NAMA. IICA officials, noting that Costa Rica’s coffee industry has taken the lead in environmental protection among the country’s agricultural sector, have expressed the hope that IICA, with support from the Costa Rican Agriculture Ministry (MAG) and the Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) located in Costa Rica, can persuade other agriculture subsectors to prepare NAMAs.

IICA is the specialized agency for agriculture of the Organization of American States (OAS). [IICA Press Release]