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Effects of a policy-induced income shock on forest-dependent households in the Peruvian Amazon

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  • L'Roe, Jessica
  • Naughton-Treves, Lisa

Abstract

This paper describes how forest-dependent communities in the Peruvian Amazon responded to forest policy changes meant to improve sustainability. These new laws emphasized block-based, collectivized extraction — a strategy incompatible with local communities' logging traditions and technical capacity. Field surveys before and after the policy change revealed a drastic reduction in local logging activities for households at all income levels. Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) subsequently became more important to household cash incomes. However, only some households were able to shift to a more intensive and far-ranging pattern of NTFP harvest, particularly households with boats and motors. Others lost income from both logging and NTFP extraction because for many households, these income sources were interdependent. An increasing Gini coefficient signals potentially escalating household income inequality. Key lessons for biodiversity and forest–carbon interventions in tropical forests include 1) regulations designed to control large-scale extraction can lead to unnecessarily restricted access for small-scale extractors, and 2) potential shifts in extractive pressure should be taken into account when access to forest resources is curtailed.

Suggested Citation

  • L'Roe, Jessica & Naughton-Treves, Lisa, 2014. "Effects of a policy-induced income shock on forest-dependent households in the Peruvian Amazon," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 1-9.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:97:y:2014:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2013.10.017
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    5. Rasmussen, Laura Vang & Watkins, Cristy & Agrawal, Arun, 2017. "Forest contributions to livelihoods in changing agriculture-forest landscapes," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 1-8.
    6. De Oñate-Calvín, Ruth & Oviedo, José L. & Salo, Matti, 2018. "Forest Resource-based Household Economy in the Communities of the Nanay River Basin, Peruvian Amazonia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 218-227.
    7. Kaoma, Humphrey & Shackleton, Charlie M., 2015. "The direct-use value of urban tree non-timber forest products to household income in poorer suburbs in South African towns," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 104-112.
    8. L'Roe, Jessica & Shanley Barr, Grayson & Detoeuf, Diane & Wieland, Michelle & Ikati, Bernard & Enduyi Kimuha, Moïse & Sandrin, François & Bilua, Delphin & Bondeko, Gerard & Londza, Yves & Bakabana, Pa, 2023. "Comparing forest product harvest rates and livelihood activities among migrant and Indigenous households in the Congo Basin," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    9. Cunha, Felipe Arias Fogliano de Souza & Börner, Jan & Wunder, Sven & Cosenza, Carlos Alberto Nunes & Lucena, André F.P., 2016. "The implementation costs of forest conservation policies in Brazil," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 209-220.

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