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Poverty and forest degradation: introduction to the special issue

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  • SHIVELY, GERALD E.

Abstract

This special issue focuses on the poor and their role in forest degradation. The idea that the poor are both agents of forest degradation and victims of forest loss is not new. Neither is the observation that unsustainable rates of forest use by smallholder farmers arises as a result of a complex interplay of incentives, constraints, and institutional forces. For researchers and policy makers concerned with natural resource use in low-income settings, theory is often useful, but rarely adequate to explain behavioural patterns. Unambiguous theoretical findings tend to flow only from substantial sets of simplifying assumptions, and such assumptions, measured against the observed facts of smallholder agriculture, seem largely untenable. Unfortunately much empirical research on the topic suffers from an opposite problem. In settings where, at any point in time, everything matters and nothing is held constant, econometric findings are frequently weak. The combination of heterogeneity of circumstance, homogeneity of market signals, and limitations on smallholder response generally overwhelms the statistical power of small data sets, often collected with different purposes in mind.

Suggested Citation

  • Shively, Gerald E., 2004. "Poverty and forest degradation: introduction to the special issue," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 9(2), pages 131-134, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:endeec:v:9:y:2004:i:02:p:131-134_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Jane Kabubo‐Mariara, 2013. "Forest‐poverty nexus: Exploring the contribution of forests to rural livelihoods in Kenya," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 37(3), pages 177-188, August.
    2. Taruvinga, Amon & Mushunje, Abbyssinia, 2012. "Buffer zone income dynamics for the sub-district producer community: Implications for rural off-farm income, income inequality and the development of household agriculture," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126377, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Wunder, Sven & Angelsen, Arild & Belcher, Brian, 2014. "Forests, Livelihoods, and Conservation: Broadening the Empirical Base," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 1-11.
    4. Porro, Roberto & Lopez-Feldman, Alejandro & Vela-Alvarado, Jorge W., 2015. "Forest use and agriculture in Ucayali, Peru: Livelihood strategies, poverty and wealth in an Amazon frontier," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 47-56.
    5. Sandra Duarte-Guardia & Pablo Peri & Wulf Amelung & Evert Thomas & Nils Borchard & German Baldi & Annette Cowie & Brenton Ladd, 2020. "Biophysical and socioeconomic factors influencing soil carbon stocks: a global assessment," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 1129-1148, August.
    6. Vasco, Cristian & Bilsborrow, Richard, 2016. "Aporte del empleo fuera de finca a los ingresos de hogares indígenas y mestizos de la Amazonía ecuatoriana," Economia Agraria y Recursos Naturales, Spanish Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 16(01), June.

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