El mercado comunitario del banano y su impacto en la economía costarricense, período 1993-2001
Fecha
2002
Autores
Campos López, Jeannette
Carvajal Molina, Javier
Cruz Soto, María Gabriela
Gutiérrez Vásquez, Irene
Umaña Delgado, Damaris
Título de la revista
ISSN de la revista
Título del volumen
Editor
Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica
Resumen
Durante más de cien años la actividad bananera ha desempeñado un rol preponderante en la economía costarricense. En diferentes rincones de la geografía nacional, han surgido poblados que se han desarrollado gracias al desempeño de esta actividad. Esto es particularmente cierto en la zona atlántica, donde el negocio bananero ha constituido una fuente de trabajo y desarrollo no sólo para las fincas productoras, sino también para los pobladores que habitan en sus alrededores. Se puede considerar que la plantación de banano en nuestro país es una actividad muy productiva, con tan solo de 47 a 52 mil hectáreas dedicadas al cultivo de esta fruta, la exportación de banano de Costa Rica significa una fuente muy importante de divisas solo superada por otras actividades como el turismo o los componentes electrónicos. Adicionalmente el país se ha consolidado desde hace algún tiempo como segundo país exportador de banano a nivel internacional solo superado por Ecuador que tiene un área productiva tres veces mayor a la nuestra. El banano es el segundo producto alimenticio de consumo directo en el comercio de frutas superado únicamente por las manzanas. Asimismo, el 95% de la producción mundial recae básicamente en países en desarrollo. A raíz de la sobreoferta de esta fruta a nivel mundial, cada país productor debe esforzarse por ofrecer un producto competitivo de alta calidad. Costa Rica no se escapa de esta realidad, y ha tenido que recurrir al mejoramiento constante de la calidad, tanto en la producción como en el mercadeo del producto, para lograr de esta forma crear y mantener nichos atractivos en los mercados internacionales. En este sentido, el banano costarricense se caracteriza por ser una fruta tropical de alta calidad muy gustada por países desarrollados, principalmente Estados Unidos y los países comunitarios europeos, segundo mercado donde se dirige nuestra exportación bananera. Efectivamente, la Unión Europea es, después de los Estados Unidos, el socio comercial más importante para el banano latinoamericano y. particularmente para Costa Rica. No obstante, a partir de la consolidación del mercado europeo en 1993, éste ha limitado el ingreso de esta fruta, imponiendo una serie de medidas restrictivas que han propiciado la generación de una serie de alteraciones en las condiciones de acceso al mercado de la Unión. Tales medidas tienen el propósito de proteger las exportaciones de banano de aquellos países que forman parte del grupo de África, el Caribe y el Pacifico (llamado en sus siglas en inglés grupo ACP) dados sus nexos históricos, culturales, ya que la mayoría fueron sus ex colonias y territorios de ultramar. Ante este difícil panorama internacional, los países exportadores latinoamericanos han tenido que recurrir al Organismo de Solución de Controversias del Acuerdo General de Aranceles y Comercio (GATT por sus siglas en inglés) y, posteriormente ante la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC). con el firme objetivo de defender sus intereses y evitar perjuicios en sus economías. De ahí surge la necesidad de estudiar la problemática que se ha suscitado en torno a este mercado, dada su importancia y a que como antes se indicó, esta fruta representa para Costa Rica una fuente significativa de ingresos. En este orden de cosas, que un grupo de estudiantes decidimos investigar, analizar y discutir esta problemática en un seminario denominado "El Mercado Comunitario del Banano y su impacto en la Economía Costarricense, periodo 1993-2001", bajo la modalidad de graduación para optar por el grado de licenciatura en Relaciones Internacionales con énfasis en Relaciones Económicas. El seminario se desarrolló del mes de febrero a diciembre de 2001, con 15 sesiones de trabajo, bajo la supervisión del Profesor Carlos Murillo. Para el desarrollo del mismo, se elaboró previamente un proyecto de graduación', aprobado en su momento por la Comisión de Trabajos Finales de Graduación de la Escuela de Relaciones Internacionales de la Universidad Nacional. El objetivo del seminario, es: "Determinar cuál es el impacto que ha provocado la creación del Mercado Comunitario Europeo y el establecimiento de distintos regímenes a la importación de banano para Costa Rica, periodo 1993-2001". Por otra parte, para lograr el objetivo general del seminario, se establecieron una serie de objetivos específicos que responden a interrogantes tales como: ¿Qué es y cómo opera el mercado del banano? ¿Qué es el Mercado Comunitario del Banano? ¿Cómo opera el Mercado Comunitario? y ¿Cómo opera el Sistema Bananero Costarricense?, entre otros, que al responderlas permitirán concretar o alcanzar el objetivo general.
For more than a hundred years, banana activity has played an important role in the Costa Rican economy. In different corners of the national geography, towns have sprung up that have developed thanks to the performance of this activity. This is particularly true in the Atlantic zone, where the banana business has been a source of work and development not only for the producing farms, but also for the people living in the surrounding areas. It can be considered that the banana plantation in our country is a very productive activity, with only 47 to 52 thousand hectares dedicated to the cultivation of this fruit, the export of bananas from Costa Rica means a very important source of foreign exchange only surpassed by other activities such as tourism or electronic components. Additionally, for some time now, the country has consolidated its position as the second largest banana exporter at the international level, only surpassed by Ecuador, which has a productive area three times larger than ours. Bananas are the second food product of direct consumption in the fruit trade, surpassed only by apples. Likewise, 95% of world production is basically in developing countries. As a result of the oversupply of this fruit worldwide, each producing country must strive to offer a competitive, high quality product. Costa Rica does not escape this reality, and has had to resort to constant quality improvement, both in production and marketing of the product, in order to create and maintain attractive niches in international markets. In this sense, Costa Rican bananas are characterized for being a high quality tropical fruit very much appreciated by developed countries, mainly the United States and the European Community countries, the second market where our banana exports are directed. Indeed, the European Union is, after the United States, the most important trading partner for Latin American bananas, particularly for Costa Rica. However, since the consolidation of the European market in 1993, it has limited the entry of this fruit, imposing a series of restrictive measures that have led to the generation of a series of alterations in the conditions of access to the EU market. The purpose of these measures is to protect banana exports from those countries that are part of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group (ACP group), given their historical and cultural ties, since most of them are former colonies and overseas territories. Faced with this difficult international scenario, Latin American exporting countries have had to resort to the Dispute Settlement Body of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and, subsequently, to the World Trade Organization (WTO), with the firm objective of defending their interests and avoiding damage to their economies. Hence the need to study the problems that have arisen in this market, given its importance and the fact that, as mentioned above, this fruit represents a significant source of income for Costa Rica. In this order of things, a group of students decided to investigate, analyze and discuss this problem in a seminar called "The Community Banana Market and its impact on the Costa Rican Economy, period 1993-2001", under the modality of graduation to opt for a degree in International Relations with emphasis in Economic Relations. The seminar was held from February to December 2001, with 15 working sessions, under the supervision of Professor Carlos Murillo. For the development of the seminar, a graduation project was previously elaborated, approved at the time by the Commission of Final Graduation Works of the School of International Relations of the National University. The objective of the seminar is: "To determine the impact of the creation of the European Community Market and the establishment of different banana import regimes for Costa Rica, period 1993-2001". On the other hand, to achieve the general objective of the seminar, a series of specific objectives were established that respond to questions such as: What is and how does the banana market operate? What is the Community Banana Market? How does the Community Market operate? and How does the Costa Rican Banana System operate? among others, which, when answered, will allow the general objective to be achieved.
For more than a hundred years, banana activity has played an important role in the Costa Rican economy. In different corners of the national geography, towns have sprung up that have developed thanks to the performance of this activity. This is particularly true in the Atlantic zone, where the banana business has been a source of work and development not only for the producing farms, but also for the people living in the surrounding areas. It can be considered that the banana plantation in our country is a very productive activity, with only 47 to 52 thousand hectares dedicated to the cultivation of this fruit, the export of bananas from Costa Rica means a very important source of foreign exchange only surpassed by other activities such as tourism or electronic components. Additionally, for some time now, the country has consolidated its position as the second largest banana exporter at the international level, only surpassed by Ecuador, which has a productive area three times larger than ours. Bananas are the second food product of direct consumption in the fruit trade, surpassed only by apples. Likewise, 95% of world production is basically in developing countries. As a result of the oversupply of this fruit worldwide, each producing country must strive to offer a competitive, high quality product. Costa Rica does not escape this reality, and has had to resort to constant quality improvement, both in production and marketing of the product, in order to create and maintain attractive niches in international markets. In this sense, Costa Rican bananas are characterized for being a high quality tropical fruit very much appreciated by developed countries, mainly the United States and the European Community countries, the second market where our banana exports are directed. Indeed, the European Union is, after the United States, the most important trading partner for Latin American bananas, particularly for Costa Rica. However, since the consolidation of the European market in 1993, it has limited the entry of this fruit, imposing a series of restrictive measures that have led to the generation of a series of alterations in the conditions of access to the EU market. The purpose of these measures is to protect banana exports from those countries that are part of the African, Caribbean and Pacific group (ACP group), given their historical and cultural ties, since most of them are former colonies and overseas territories. Faced with this difficult international scenario, Latin American exporting countries have had to resort to the Dispute Settlement Body of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and, subsequently, to the World Trade Organization (WTO), with the firm objective of defending their interests and avoiding damage to their economies. Hence the need to study the problems that have arisen in this market, given its importance and the fact that, as mentioned above, this fruit represents a significant source of income for Costa Rica. In this order of things, a group of students decided to investigate, analyze and discuss this problem in a seminar called "The Community Banana Market and its impact on the Costa Rican Economy, period 1993-2001", under the modality of graduation to opt for a degree in International Relations with emphasis in Economic Relations. The seminar was held from February to December 2001, with 15 working sessions, under the supervision of Professor Carlos Murillo. For the development of the seminar, a graduation project was previously elaborated, approved at the time by the Commission of Final Graduation Works of the School of International Relations of the National University. The objective of the seminar is: "To determine the impact of the creation of the European Community Market and the establishment of different banana import regimes for Costa Rica, period 1993-2001". On the other hand, to achieve the general objective of the seminar, a series of specific objectives were established that respond to questions such as: What is and how does the banana market operate? What is the Community Banana Market? How does the Community Market operate? and How does the Costa Rican Banana System operate? among others, which, when answered, will allow the general objective to be achieved.
Descripción
Palabras clave
BANANO, COMERCIALIZACIÓN, COMERCIO INTERNACIONAL, EXPORTACIONES, BANANA, EXPORTS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, MARKETING