Quantifying economic and biophysical sustainability trade-offs in land useexploration at the regional level: a case study for the Northern Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica

A generic methodology is presented for exploration of sustainable land use options at the regional level by quantifying trade-offs between socio-econo mic and biophysical sustainability objectives. The methodology is called SO LUS (Sustainable Options for Land USe), and was developed over a ten year p eriod of investigation in the Northern Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica. SOLUS i ncludes a linear programming model, technical coefficient generators for li vestock and cropping activities and a geographic information system. The li near programming model maximizes regional economic surplus subject to a fle xible number of resource and sustainability constraints. Economic sustainab ility indicators are economic surplus and labor employment, and biophysical ones include soil N, P and K balances, pesticide use and its environmental impact, nutrient losses and a proxy for trace gas emissions. The capabilit ies of the methodology are illustrated for the Northern Atlantic Zone of Co sta Rica. Though ample scope exists for reducing environmental effects and introducing sustainable production systems separately, pursuing both object ives simultaneously, considerably reduces economic surplus and agricultural employment. Agricultural area can be decreased and forested area increased without severely affecting the regional economic surplus. (C) 1998 Elsevie r Science B.V. All rights reserved.