@article{Mertínez_Bernsten_Zamora_2004, title={Market strategies for Central American dry beans.}, volume={15}, url={https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/agromeso/article/view/11892}, DOI={10.15517/am.v15i2.11892}, abstractNote={<p>In the past few years, the dry bean sub-sector in Central</p><p>America has witnessed many dynamic changes. Unless we</p><p>find ways to increase the competitiveness of the regional</p><p>bean sub-sector, Central American countries will likely</p><p>experience significant negative social and economic impacts,</p><p>especially since these countries are facing the challenge of</p><p>adjusting to new open markets, such as the Central American</p><p>Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Bean traders, retailers, and</p><p>knowledgeable government official in Costa Rica, El</p><p>Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua were</p><p>interviewed to document these changes, identify constraints</p><p>that threaten the viability of the sub-sector, and assess future</p><p>opportunities for increasing bean market shares. The results</p><p>indicate that to remain competitive in the future, Central</p><p>American countries must increase productivity by continuing</p><p>to support dry bean research (i.e., develop improved varieties</p><p>with characteristics that consumers prefer such as grain</p><p>color); strengthen programs for distributing improved</p><p>varieties to producers; provide producers with better market</p><p>information; develop stronger linkages between producers,</p><p>packers, wholesalers, and supermarkets; and aggressively</p><p>target the U.S. export market.</p>}, number={2}, journal={Agronomía Mesoamericana}, author={Mertínez, Lourdes and Bernsten, Richard and Zamora, Miguel}, year={2004}, month={Aug.}, pages={121–130} }