Description
Book SynopsisThis book explores the relationship between the land use choices of small-scale farmers and the rate of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. Although sustainable agriculture was introduced to the Amazon area about 10 years ago, it has been adopted by only a few farmers. Jill L. Caviglia analyses why this practice has not been more widely adopted and offers policy prescriptions to address this.
The major source of deforestation in the Amazon is the use of slash-and-burn agriculture by small-scale farmers. The adoption of sustainable agriculture by these farmers could reduce the rate of deforestation dramatically. The author uses new, original case studies of farms in the area to estimate the probability of the adoption of sustainable agriculture and, once the adoption decision has been made, the intensity of adoption. The author finds that this is influenced greatly by farmer organizations and by providing the farmers with the knowledge that sustainable agriculture is a viable alternative to slash-and-burn practices.
This book will be of great interest to scholars and policymakers in the areas of environmental economics, environmental policy and Latin American studies.
Trade Review'Caviglia's book is a well-done and relevant piece of work, providing the reader with a clear description of variables and assumptions, thus allowing for evaluation of strengths and limitations of her research. Caviglia's conclusion reinforces her discussion throughout the book, suggesting that market failure (at the local, regional and national levels) is the most significant cause of deforestation in the region. . . . Most importantly, the author's conclusions are extremely relevant and useful for policies aimed at improving the colonist farmers' well-being and productivity, while helping to decrease deforestation rates in one of the most impacted regions of the Brazilian Amazon.' -- Eduardo S. Brondizio, Environmental Conservation
Table of ContentsContents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon 3. Sustainable Agriculture 4. Addressing Market Failure Which Has Led to Tropical Deforestation with Discrete Choice Models 5. Data Collection and Analysis 6. The Economic Model 7. Conclusion Bibliography Index
