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Milán MJ, González E, López-I-Gelats F. The Livestock Frontier in the Paraguayan Chaco: A Local Agent-based Perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 73:1231-1246. [PMID: 38459261 PMCID: PMC11136858 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-01957-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Deforestation is one of the most relevant transformations characterizing global environmental change in the tropics at present. There is wide consensus in pointing the context-dependent nature of tropical deforestation. In this sense, a better characterization of the phenomenon considering the social context could provide a more accurate picture of tropical deforestation. With this aim, a Q-methodology discourse analysis was conducted to characterise the different discourses that coexist in the particular region of the Paraguayan Chaco concerning the development of cattle ranching and derived deforestation. Four different discourses were identified as making sense the wide range of interests and values coexisting and clashing in the Paraguayan Chaco, namely: the Environmentalist discourse, the Business discourse, the Resigned discourse, and the Possibilist discourse. The results point that the fundamental differences between the discourses are largely explained by the different positions on three specific domains: (i) the socio-economic benefits the expansion of cattle ranching brings about; (ii) the environmental impacts the expansion of cattle ranching and the derived deforestation brings on; and, finally (iii) the degree to which an active intervention from the side of policy making to regulate the expansion of cattle ranching and to minimize possible detrimental effects is seen as necessary. The position of the different discourses in relation to these domains could help policy makers to make measures and regulations more widely accepted and followed.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Milán
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain.
| | - Elizabeth González
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Feliu López-I-Gelats
- Agroecology and Food Systems Chair, Universitat de Vic-Universitat Central de Catalunya, Vic, 08500, Spain
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2
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Nunes FSM, Soares-Filho BS, Oliveira AR, Veloso LVS, Schmitt J, Van der Hoff R, Assis DC, Costa RP, Börner J, Ribeiro SMC, Rajão RGL, de Oliveira U, Costa MA. Lessons from the historical dynamics of environmental law enforcement in the Brazilian Amazon. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1828. [PMID: 38246941 PMCID: PMC10800348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52180-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Here, we analyze critical changes in environmental law enforcement in the Brazilian Amazon between 2000 and 2020. Based on a dataset of law enforcement indicators, we discuss how these changes explain recent Amazon deforestation dynamics. Our analysis also covers changes in the legal prosecution process and documents a militarization of enforcement between 2018 and 2022. From 2004 to 2018, 43.6 thousand land-use embargoes and 84.3 thousand fines were issued, targeting 3.3 million ha of land, and totaling USD 9.3 billion in penalties. Nevertheless, enforcement relaxed and became spatially more limited, signaling an increasing lack of commitment by the State to enforcing the law. The number of embargoes and asset confiscations dropped by 59% and 55% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. These changes were accompanied by a marked increase in enforcement expenditure, suggesting a massive efficiency loss. More importantly, the creation of so-called conciliation hearings and the centralization of legal processes in 2019 reduced the number of actual judgments and fines collected by 85% and decreased the ratio between lawsuits resulting in paid fines over filed ones from 17 to 5%. As Brazil gears up to crack-down on illegal deforestation once again, our assessment suggests urgent entry points for policy action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe S M Nunes
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil.
| | - Britaldo S Soares-Filho
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Amanda R Oliveira
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Laura V S Veloso
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jair Schmitt
- Brazil's Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA), Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Richard Van der Hoff
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Debora C Assis
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rayane P Costa
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jan Börner
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sonia M C Ribeiro
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Raoni G L Rajão
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
- Laboratory of Environmental Services Management (LAGESA), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Ubirajara de Oliveira
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Azevedo Costa
- Center for Remote Sensing (CSR), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Belo Horizonte, MG, 662731270-901, Brazil
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3
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Gatti LV, Cunha CL, Marani L, Cassol HLG, Messias CG, Arai E, Denning AS, Soler LS, Almeida C, Setzer A, Domingues LG, Basso LS, Miller JB, Gloor M, Correia CSC, Tejada G, Neves RAL, Rajao R, Nunes F, Filho BSS, Schmitt J, Nobre C, Corrêa SM, Sanches AH, Aragão LEOC, Anderson L, Von Randow C, Crispim SP, Silva FM, Machado GBM. Increased Amazon carbon emissions mainly from decline in law enforcement. Nature 2023; 621:318-323. [PMID: 37612502 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06390-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
The Amazon forest carbon sink is declining, mainly as a result of land-use and climate change1-4. Here we investigate how changes in law enforcement of environmental protection policies may have affected the Amazonian carbon balance between 2010 and 2018 compared with 2019 and 2020, based on atmospheric CO2 vertical profiles5,6, deforestation7 and fire data8, as well as infraction notices related to illegal deforestation9. We estimate that Amazonia carbon emissions increased from a mean of 0.24 ± 0.08 PgC year-1 in 2010-2018 to 0.44 ± 0.10 PgC year-1 in 2019 and 0.52 ± 0.10 PgC year-1 in 2020 (± uncertainty). The observed increases in deforestation were 82% and 77% (94% accuracy) and burned area were 14% and 42% in 2019 and 2020 compared with the 2010-2018 mean, respectively. We find that the numbers of notifications of infractions against flora decreased by 30% and 54% and fines paid by 74% and 89% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Carbon losses during 2019-2020 were comparable with those of the record warm El Niño (2015-2016) without an extreme drought event. Statistical tests show that the observed differences between the 2010-2018 mean and 2019-2020 are unlikely to have arisen by chance. The changes in the carbon budget of Amazonia during 2019-2020 were mainly because of western Amazonia becoming a carbon source. Our results indicate that a decline in law enforcement led to increases in deforestation, biomass burning and forest degradation, which increased carbon emissions and enhanced drying and warming of the Amazon forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana V Gatti
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil.
- Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN), São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Camilla L Cunha
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Luciano Marani
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Henrique L G Cassol
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Cassiano Gustavo Messias
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Egidio Arai
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | | | - Luciana S Soler
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Claudio Almeida
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Alberto Setzer
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Lucas Gatti Domingues
- Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN), São Paulo, Brazil
- National Isotope Centre, GNS Science, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
| | - Luana S Basso
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - John B Miller
- Global Monitoring Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Manuel Gloor
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Caio S C Correia
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
- Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Graciela Tejada
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Raiane A L Neves
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Raoni Rajao
- Remote Sensing Center, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Felipe Nunes
- Remote Sensing Center, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Britaldo S S Filho
- Remote Sensing Center, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Jair Schmitt
- Remote Sensing Center, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Carlos Nobre
- Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEA), University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sergio M Corrêa
- Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alber H Sanches
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Luiz E O C Aragão
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Liana Anderson
- Centro Nacional de Monitoramento e Alertas de Desastres Naturais (CEMADEN), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Celso Von Randow
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Stephane P Crispim
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Francine M Silva
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Guilherme B M Machado
- General Coordination of Earth Science (CGCT), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), São José dos Campos, Brazil
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4
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Land Use, Land Cover Change and Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture and Livestock in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14052563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The Amazon and the Atlantic Forest are Brazilian biomes that suffered an intense land use and land cover change, marked by the loss of native forest and expansion of agriculture and livestock. This article aims to analyze land use and land cover change history and to propose a sustainable alternative for agriculture and livestock as an opportunity for rural development in these biomes. The statistics of the platform from the Annual Mapping Project for Land Use and Land Cover in Brazil (MapBiomas) were used in an annual historical series from 1985 to 2020. The analysis of land use and land cover changes indicates that the Amazon native forest was reduced by 44.53 million hectares (Mha), while pasture, agriculture and planted forest increased by 38.10, 6.06 and 0.26 Mha, respectively, over the 35 years (1985 to 2020). In the Atlantic Forest, for the same period, forest and pasture reduced by 0.99 and 11.53 Mha, respectively, while agriculture expanded by 8.06 Mha and planted forest by 2.99 Mha. Sustainable land use strategies, such as the Integration Crop-Livestock-Forest (ICLF), can support the increase in agricultural production while recovering and preserving the environment. Policies and programs should consider regional particularities and barriers for more significant adoption of this strategy.
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5
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Heilmayr R, Rausch LL, Munger J, Gibbs HK. Brazil's Amazon Soy Moratorium reduced deforestation. NATURE FOOD 2020; 1:801-810. [PMID: 37128066 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-020-00194-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Between 2004 and 2012, multiple policies contributed to one of the great conservation successes of the twenty-first century-an 84% decrease in the rate of Brazilian Amazon deforestation. Among the most prominent of these policies is the Amazon Soy Moratorium (ASM), an agreement by grain traders not to purchase soy grown on recently deforested land. The ASM inspired widespread adoption of similar zero-deforestation commitments, but its impact is poorly understood due to its overlap with other conservation policies. Here, we apply an econometric triple-differences model to remotely sensed deforestation data to isolate the ASM's impact within Brazil's Arc of Deforestation. We show that the ASM reduced deforestation in soy-suitable locations in the Amazon by 0.66 ± 0.32 percentage points relative to a counterfactual control, preventing 18,000 ± 9,000 km2 of deforestation over its first decade (2006-2016). Although these results highlight potential benefits of private conservation policies, the ASM's success was dependent on complementarities with public property registries and deforestation monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Heilmayr
- Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
| | - Lisa L Rausch
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jacob Munger
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Holly K Gibbs
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
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6
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Payment for Environment Services to Promote Compliance with Brazil’s Forest Code: The Case of “Produtores de Água e Floresta”. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12198138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Payments for ecosystems services (PES) can promote natural resource conservation by increasing compliance with environmental laws. Law enforcement and PES proponents assume that individuals make decisions about compliance based on expectations of gains, likelihood of being caught in non-compliance, and magnitude of sanctions. Brazil’s Forest Code, characterized by low levels of compliance, includes incentive and disincentive mechanisms. We interviewed landowners in the Atlantic Forest to understand their motivations to participate (or not) in a PES project, the effects of knowledge and perceptions of environmental regulations on compliance, and how both environmental regulations and PES affect land management decision-making. We found that neither expectations of financial gains nor PES payments drive behavioral change and that the perception of systemic corruption reduced compliance with environment regulations. There were important behavioral differences between long-term residents for whom the land is their main source of income and recent residents with little dependence on land-generated income.
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7
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Overstated carbon emission reductions from voluntary REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:24188-24194. [PMID: 32929021 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2004334117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has gained international attention over the past decade, as manifested in both United Nations policy discussions and hundreds of voluntary projects launched to earn carbon-offset credits. There are ongoing discussions about whether and how projects should be integrated into national climate change mitigation efforts under the Paris Agreement. One consideration is whether these projects have generated additional impacts over and above national policies and other measures. To help inform these discussions, we compare the crediting baselines established ex-ante by voluntary REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon to counterfactuals constructed ex-post based on the quasi-experimental synthetic control method. We find that the crediting baselines assume consistently higher deforestation than counterfactual forest loss in synthetic control sites. This gap is partially due to decreased deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon during the early implementation phase of the REDD+ projects considered here. This suggests that forest carbon finance must strike a balance between controlling conservation investment risk and ensuring the environmental integrity of carbon emission offsets. Relatedly, our results point to the need to better align project- and national-level carbon accounting.
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8
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Gardner T, Benzie M, Börner J, Dawkins E, Fick S, Garrett R, Godar J, Grimard A, Lake S, Larsen R, Mardas N, McDermott C, Meyfroidt P, Osbeck M, Persson M, Sembres T, Suavet C, Strassburg B, Trevisan A, West C, Wolvekamp P. Transparency and sustainability in global commodity supply chains. WORLD DEVELOPMENT 2019; 121:163-177. [PMID: 31481824 PMCID: PMC6686968 DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2018.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few decades rapid advances in processes to collect, monitor, disclose, and disseminate information have contributed towards the development of entirely new modes of sustainability governance for global commodity supply chains. However, there has been very little critical appraisal of the contribution made by different transparency initiatives to sustainability and the ways in which they can (and cannot) influence new governance arrangements. Here we seek to strengthen the theoretical underpinning of research and action on supply chain transparency by addressing four questions: (1) What is meant by supply chain transparency? (2) What is the relevance of supply chain transparency to supply chain sustainability governance? (3) What is the current status of supply chain transparency, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of existing initiatives? and (4) What propositions can be advanced for how transparency can have a positive transformative effect on the governance interventions that seek to strengthen sustainability outcomes? We use examples from agricultural supply chains and the zero-deforestation agenda as a focus of our analysis but draw insights that are relevant to the transparency and sustainability of supply chains in general. We propose a typology to distinguish among types of supply chain information that are needed to support improvements in sustainability governance, and illustrate a number of major shortfalls and systematic biases in existing information systems. We also propose a set of ten propositions that, taken together, serve to expose some of the potential pitfalls and undesirable outcomes that may result from (inevitably) limited or poorly designed transparency systems, whilst offering guidance on some of the ways in which greater transparency can make a more effective, lasting and positive contribution to sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.A. Gardner
- Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
- Corresponding author at: Stockholm Environment Institute, Linnégatan 87D, Box 24218, Stockholm 104 51, Sweden.
| | - M. Benzie
- Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
| | - J. Börner
- Institute for Food and Resource Economics, Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany
| | | | - S. Fick
- Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
| | | | - J. Godar
- Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
| | | | - S. Lake
- Global Canopy, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - P. Meyfroidt
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium
- F.R.S.–FNRS, Belgium
| | - M. Osbeck
- Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
| | | | | | - C. Suavet
- Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
| | | | | | - C. West
- University of York, United Kingdom
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9
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What Drives Intensification of Land Use at Agricultural Frontiers in the Brazilian Amazon? Evidence from a Decision Game. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10060464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Land-use change results from the decisions of diverse actors in response to economic and political contexts. Identification of underlying decision-making processes is key to understanding land-use patterns, anticipating trends, and designing effective environmental governance mechanisms. Here, we use a scenario-based decision game to examine hypothetical land-use decisions among four groups of rural producers in the municipalities of Sinop, Guarantã do Norte and Novo Progresso in the Brazilian Amazon. We simulate changes in agricultural prices, production cost, and frequency of environmental monitoring (in situ inspections) to understand how land-use decisions are made and change with shifts in economic and governance incentives. Hypothetical land-use decisions vary across scenarios, but not across study sites; environmental law enforcement influence land decisions, but not to the extent of dominating market factors and not for all types of producers. Decision games cannot substitute approaches to explain behavioral responses from observational data. However, they can provide immediate feedback on behavioral hypotheses before comprehensive observational data becomes available and support the development of models for land-use policy planning at local and regional scales.
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10
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Nolte C, Meyer SR, Sims KRE, Thompson JR. Voluntary, permanent land protection reduces forest loss and development in a rural‐urban landscape. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Nolte
- Department of Earth and EnvironmentBoston University Boston Massachusetts
| | | | - Katharine R. E. Sims
- Department of Economics and Department of Environmental StudiesAmherst College Amherst Massachusetts
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11
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Sensitivity assessment and evaluation of a spatially explicit land-use model for Southern Amazonia. ECOL INFORM 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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12
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Results from On-The-Ground Efforts to Promote Sustainable Cattle Ranching in the Brazilian Amazon. SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10041301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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13
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Limits of Brazil's Forest Code as a means to end illegal deforestation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:7653-7658. [PMID: 28674015 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604768114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2012 Brazilian Forest Code governs the fate of forests and savannas on Brazil's 394 Mha of privately owned lands. The government claims that a new national land registry (SICAR), introduced under the revised law, could end illegal deforestation by greatly reducing the cost of monitoring, enforcement, and compliance. This study evaluates that potential, using data from state-level land registries (CAR) in Pará and Mato Grosso that were precursors of SICAR. Using geospatial analyses and stakeholder interviews, we quantify the impact of CAR on deforestation and forest restoration, investigating how landowners adjust their behaviors over time. Our results indicate rapid adoption of CAR, with registered properties covering a total of 57 Mha by 2013. This suggests that the financial incentives to join CAR currently exceed the costs. Registered properties initially showed lower deforestation rates than unregistered ones, but these differences varied by property size and diminished over time. Moreover, only 6% of registered producers reported taking steps to restore illegally cleared areas on their properties. Our results suggest that, from the landowner's perspective, full compliance with the Forest Code offers few economic benefits. Achieving zero illegal deforestation in this context would require the private sector to include full compliance as a market criterion, while state and federal governments develop SICAR as a de facto enforcement mechanism. These results are relevant to other tropical countries and underscore the importance of developing a policy mix that creates lasting incentives for sustainable land-use practices.
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14
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Evolving Protected-Area Impacts in Mexico: Political Shifts as Suggested by Impact Evaluations. FORESTS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/f8010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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15
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Avelino AFT, Baylis K, Honey-Rosés J. Goldilocks and the Raster Grid: Selecting Scale when Evaluating Conservation Programs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167945. [PMID: 28005915 PMCID: PMC5179101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Access to high quality spatial data raises fundamental questions about how to select the appropriate scale and unit of analysis. Studies that evaluate the impact of conservation programs have used multiple scales and areal units: from 5x5 km grids; to 30m pixels; to irregular units based on land uses or political boundaries. These choices affect the estimate of program impact. The bias associated with scale and unit selection is a part of a well-known dilemma called the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). We introduce this dilemma to the literature on impact evaluation and then explore the tradeoffs made when choosing different areal units. To illustrate the consequences of the MAUP, we begin by examining the effect of scale selection when evaluating a protected area in Mexico using real data. We then develop a Monte Carlo experiment that simulates a conservation intervention. We find that estimates of treatment effects and variable coefficients are only accurate under restrictive circumstances. Under more realistic conditions, we find biased estimates associated with scale choices that are both too large or too small relative to the data generating process or decision unit. In our context, the MAUP may reflect an errors in variables problem, where imprecise measures of the independent variables will bias the coefficient estimates toward zero. This problem may be pronounced at small scales of analysis. Aggregation may reduce this bias for continuous variables, but aggregation exacerbates bias when using a discrete measure of treatment. While we do not find a solution to these issues, even though treatment effects are generally underestimated. We conclude with suggestions on how researchers might navigate their choice of scale and aerial unit when evaluating conservation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Fernandes Tomon Avelino
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kathy Baylis
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jordi Honey-Rosés
- School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Börner J, Baylis K, Corbera E, Ezzine-de-Blas D, Ferraro PJ, Honey-Rosés J, Lapeyre R, Persson UM, Wunder S. Emerging Evidence on the Effectiveness of Tropical Forest Conservation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159152. [PMID: 27806043 PMCID: PMC5091886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The PLOS ONE Collection "Measuring forest conservation effectiveness" brings together a series of studies that evaluate the effectiveness of tropical forest conservation policies and programs with the goal of measuring conservation success and associated co-benefits. This overview piece describes the geographic and methodological scope of these studies, as well as the policy instruments covered in the Collection as of June 2016. Focusing on forest cover change, we systematically compare the conservation effects estimated by the studies and discuss them in the light of previous findings in the literature. Nine studies estimated that annual conservation impacts on forest cover were below one percent, with two exceptions in Mexico and Indonesia. Differences in effect sizes are not only driven by the choice of conservation measures. One key lesson from the studies is the need to move beyond the current scientific focus of estimating average effects of undifferentiated conservation programs. The specific elements of the program design and the implementation context are equally important factors for understanding the effectiveness of conservation programs. Particularly critical will be a better understanding of the causal mechanisms through which conservation programs have impacts. To achieve this understanding we need advances in both theory and methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Börner
- Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, and Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bonn, Germany
| | - Kathy Baylis
- Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Esteve Corbera
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Economics and Economic History, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Driss Ezzine-de-Blas
- Center International en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Montpellier, France
| | - Paul J. Ferraro
- Carey Business School & Whiting School of Engineering, Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jordi Honey-Rosés
- School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Renaud Lapeyre
- Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI), Paris, France
| | - U. Martin Persson
- Department of Energy & Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Sven Wunder
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Lima, Peru
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Reply to Levine-Schnur: Decisions to deforest illegally are influenced by fines and their perceived enforcement probability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E3469. [PMID: 27303028 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1606462113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Pratihast AK, DeVries B, Avitabile V, de Bruin S, Herold M, Bergsma A. Design and Implementation of an Interactive Web-Based Near Real-Time Forest Monitoring System. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150935. [PMID: 27031694 PMCID: PMC4816390 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper describes an interactive web-based near real-time (NRT) forest monitoring system using four levels of geographic information services: 1) the acquisition of continuous data streams from satellite and community-based monitoring using mobile devices, 2) NRT forest disturbance detection based on satellite time-series, 3) presentation of forest disturbance data through a web-based application and social media and 4) interaction of the satellite based disturbance alerts with the end-user communities to enhance the collection of ground data. The system is developed using open source technologies and has been implemented together with local experts in the UNESCO Kafa Biosphere Reserve, Ethiopia. The results show that the system is able to provide easy access to information on forest change and considerably improves the collection and storage of ground observation by local experts. Social media leads to higher levels of user interaction and noticeably improves communication among stakeholders. Finally, an evaluation of the system confirms the usability of the system in Ethiopia. The implemented system can provide a foundation for an operational forest monitoring system at the national level for REDD+ MRV applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Kumar Pratihast
- Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: ;
| | - Ben DeVries
- Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Valerio Avitabile
- Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sytze de Bruin
- Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Herold
- Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Aldo Bergsma
- Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Baylis K, Honey-Rosés J, Börner J, Corbera E, Ezzine-de-Blas D, Ferraro PJ, Lapeyre R, Persson UM, Pfaff A, Wunder S. Mainstreaming Impact Evaluation in Nature Conservation. Conserv Lett 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathy Baylis
- Agriculture and Consumer Economics; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Champaign IL 61820 USA
| | - Jordi Honey-Rosés
- School of Community and Regional Planning; University of British Columbia; Vancouver B.C. V6T 1Z2 Canada
| | - Jan Börner
- Center for Development Research; University of Bonn & Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Bonn Germany
| | - Esteve Corbera
- Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Bellaterra Catalonia Spain
| | - Driss Ezzine-de-Blas
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD); Montpellier France
| | - Paul J. Ferraro
- Department of Economics, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies; Georgia State University; Atlanta GA 30302 USA
| | - Renaud Lapeyre
- Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI); Paris France
| | - U. Martin Persson
- Department of Energy & Environment; Chalmers University of Technology; Gothenburg Sweden
| | - Alex Pfaff
- Sanford School of Public Policy; Duke University; Durham NC 27708 USA
| | - Sven Wunder
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Rio de Janeiro Brazil
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