The promotion of forestry activities is seen as a means by which to reduce poverty while protecting the environment. But if clearing of forests for agricultural activities can prove more profitable, will such efforts be effective?

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction to greenhouse and climate change, international frameworks, carbon sequestration and carbon trading. It focusses in particular on policy relating to Australia.The paper demonstrates that increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have been identified as a major cause of global warming. The Kyoto Protocol set the collective target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions of industrialised countries by 5% of 1990 levels by 2008-2012.

Briefing document on Cambodian forest reforms.Document available in Word and Text formats and available in Khmer at: http://www.fatbeehive.com/globalwitness/text/campaigns/forests/cambodia/...

This document summarizes current findings from an evaluation of Mexico’s National Payments for Hydrological Services from 2003-2010.  Th evaluation seeks to understand the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the program, with the goal of extracting lessons learned and identifying room for possible future improvement.

Findings: an analysis of program selection criteria and the characteristics of lands enrolled suggests the program has met the dual goals of targeting funds to areas of ecological and social priority. Specifically:

Synthesizes the results of more than 140 economic models analyzing the causes of tropical deforestation. Raises significant doubts about many conventional hypotheses in the debate about deforestation. More roads, higher agricultural prices, lower wages, and a shortage of off-farm employment generally lead to more deforestation. How technical change, agricultural input prices, household income levels, and tenure security affect deforestation—if at all—is unknown.

The advance of the agricultural frontier constitutes the biggest source of deforestation in Central America today. This conversion of tropical forests into agricultural land and pasture is the direct result of individual land use decisions. This paper presents a simple analytical model of household land use, followed by an econometric analysis of household survey data from the Río San Juan region of Nicaragua in order to test for consistency with the model.

As reservas extrativistas, um dos legados do movimento organizado dos seringueiros do qual Chico Mendes foi um dos grandes protagonistas, foram idealizadas como proposta de desenvolvimento para Amazônia e para os povos da floresta, alternativa ao modelo estatal hegemônico, de características ambientalmente predatórias e socialmente excludentes. Desde o assassinato de Chico Mendes em 1988 foram criadas 88 reservas extrativistas (sendo 62 federais e 26 estaduais).

Ecosystem accounting is a new area of environmental economic accounting that aims to measure ecosystem services in a way that is in line with national accounts. The key characteristics of ecosystem accounting include the extension of the valuation boundary of the System of National Accounts, allowing the inclusion of a broader set of ecosystem services types such regulating services and cultural services. Consistent with the principles of national account, ecosystem accounting focuses on assessment of the contribution of ecosystem in generating benefits for human well-being.

Keywords: deforestation; remote sensing; mental models; stakeholders’ perceptions; agrarian reform

 
La certificación y los costos de transacción significan mucho en el incremento del precio final de los productos como parte de cadenas alimentarias que están causando preocupación en los países de la región debido a alzas y desabastecimiento. Hay muchas razones para explicar esto. El presente artículo adelanta un análisis de ambos factores a partir del caso boliviano, que bien puede aplicarse a otros países sudamericanos.
 
Cadenas productivas alimentarias y costos de transacción
 
Eduardo López Rosse A.
 

Bosques para el desarrollo: el debate en la Amazonía
Pablo Pacheco *

Le présent décret fixe l’organisation et les modalités de fonctionnement de l’Unité de Gestion de la Grande Muraille Verte (UGMV) dont les organes sont le Comité d’Orientation; et la Direction. Un arrêté du ministre chargé de l’Environnement fixe les détails de l’organisation et des modalités de fonctionnement de la Direction de l’Unité de Gestion de la Grande Muraille Verte.

Met en oeuvre: Ordonnance n° 2016-011 P-RM du 17 mars 2016 portant création de l’unité de gestion de la grande muraille verte. (2016-03-17)