This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Does Natural Resource Extraction Mitigate Poverty and Inequality? Evidence from Rural Mexico

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Lopez-Feldman, Alejandro
Mora, Jorge
Taylor, J. Edward

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

The potential importance of natural resources in poor rural household livelihoods has long been recognized but seldom quantified and analyzed. In this paper we examine distributional and poverty effects of natural resource extraction. To do so we use new data from a national rural household survey and a community survey implemented in Lacandona Rainforest of México. By using Gini and poverty decomposition techniques, as well as bootstrapping methods, we analyze how poverty and inequality change if income from natural resources is not considered when calculating total household income. The marginal impact that a change in price (or in availability) of resources has on inequality is also described. Finally, with information from Frontera Corozal, the community in the Selva Lacandona , the short-run poverty effects of changes in the price of a non-timber forest product (NTFP) are evaluated. Our findings highlight the importance of income from natural resource extraction in alleviating poverty and income inequality in rural México. The loss of income from resource extraction would significantly affect both poverty and inequality nationally as well as in the resource-rich South-Southeast region and in the Lacandona Rainforest community. This research takes a first step towards assessing non-timber forest products extraction as a poverty alleviating tool. Results from the simulation of NTFP price increases in Frontera Corozal show that poverty can be reduced, at least in the short-run, via this price mechanism.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://purl.umn.edu/25765
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Paper provided by International Association of Agricultural Economists in its series 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia with number 25765.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: 2006
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae06:25765

Contact details of provider:
Email:
Web page: http://www.iaae-agecon.org/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (AgEcon Search).

Related research
Keywords: Food Security and Poverty; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy;

Other versions of this item:

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Lerman, Robert I & Yitzhaki, Shlomo, 1985. "Income Inequality Effects by Income," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 67(1), pages 151-56, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Reddy, S. R. C. & Chakravarty, S. P., 1999. "Forest Dependence and Income Distribution in a Subsistence Economy: Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1141-1149, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Fisher, Monica, 2004. "Household welfare and forest dependence in Southern Malawi," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(02), pages 135-154, May. [Downloadable!]
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? There are NEP reports in over 80 fields that deliver new research to your email.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-26.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.