At Loggerheads? Agricultural Expansion, Poverty Reduction, and Environment in the Tropical Forests

There are many causes, consequences, and
connections of deforestation and forest poverty in the
tropical world. This report specifically addresses the
potential dilemma of trade-offs between poverty reduction
and environmental protection. It seeks to improve the
diagnosis of forest problems and facilitate the prescription
and application of solutions by focusing on both the causes
and consequences of forest conversion to agriculture and on
the nature and location of forest poverty. The first section
is diagnostic, examining the drivers and consequences of
deforestation and forest poverty. The second part looks at
how governance, institutions, and policies shape those
drivers. It identifies opportunities for win-win policies.
In particular, anything that boosts labor demand outside
agriculture will tend to reduce both poverty and
deforestation. Additionally, promotion of some kinds of
agroforestry can help to improve the ecological functions of
degraded forests while boosting farm output and employment.
The report offers a systematic framework for thinking about
how to integrate forest management with rural development in
a sustainable way.