Rights to Forest Products, Deforestation and Smallholder Income: Evidence from the Western Brazilian Amazon

• Published in: World development Vol. 31; no. 11; pp. 1889 - 1901
• Main Authors: Vosti, Stephen A, Braz, Evaldo Muñoz, Carpentier, Chantal Line, d’Oliveira, Marcus V.N, Witcover, Julie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2003; Elsevier
• Series: World Development
• Subjects: Brazil; Deforestation; Development studies; Forest products; Forestry; Latin America; Low income; managed forestry; Poverty; Property rights; World economy; Brazil, Amazonia; Brazil; managed forestry; property rights; poverty; Latin America; deforestation
• ISSN: 0305-750X; 1873-5991
• DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2003.06.001

The causes of tropical deforestation are many and complex, but relative financial returns at the household level play a large role in determining which activities and investments are pursued. A farm-level bioeconomic model indicates that the best course for smallholders in the western Brazilian Amazon who seek to boost consumption levels over time is to convert forest to agriculture. Results of a simulated experiment show that permitting sustainable off-take of timber products on farms would improve incomes and slow smallholder deforestation, but use of cleared land would be little changed. Because such strong financial incentives exist to harvest timber unsustainably, mechanisms for monitoring timber off-take will be required. The costs of establishing and maintaining them should be shared among all beneficiaries of the environmental services provided by forests.