Recapitulating a Decade of Collaborative Land Use Research In Costa Rica : role and complementarity of methodologies for land use evaluation on different scales

This paper provides an overview of a number of different methodologies for land use analysis aimed at agricultural policy support, developed during a decade of collaborative research in Costa Rica. The methodologies are classified in five groups, (i) projective, (ii) explorative, (iii) predictive, (iv) generative and (v) prototyping. Whereas the first three involve land use analysis on (sub-)regional to national scales, the fourth quantifies actual and alternative land use systems on the plot level, and the fifth provides completely new farm or field management designs. For all methodologies, their implementation domain is explicitly specified, as well as their mutual complementarity and role in agricultural policy support. Together, the methodologies form a coherent toolbox to support policy design by analyzing (i) current land use, (ii) likely changes in future land use and their drivers, (iii) technical options for future land use, and (iv) policies intended to induce land use changes in the (near) future. It is concluded that, in order for quantitative, systems -based tools for land use analysis to be useful for policy makers, they should have a multidisciplinary and multilevel character, involving both biophysical and socio-economic sciences. Finally, reflections are offered on the importance of user involvement in both the development and the application of land use analysis methodologies for successful policy support .