Work

Brazil's National Environmental Registry of Rural Properties: Implications for Livelihoods

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: In Brazil, the Cadastro Ambiental Rural (CAR) is currently being implemented. This policy aims to geo-reference all properties and promote monitoring of, and compliance with, natural vegetation conservation requirements. Scholarly efforts and policy attention have so far concentrated on possible environmental impacts hereof, while the attention devoted to how the CAR might affect farmers' livelihoods has been limited. In this paper, we evaluate potential livelihood impacts of the CAR and programs that facilitate CAR registration. We do so by developing a conceptual framework and using evidence from semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders including farmers, governments, and funding agencies. We find that while the CAR and programs facilitating CAR do not have explicit livelihood impact goals, they nonetheless affect livelihoods, both positively and negatively, depending on the initial amount of natural vegetation on farmers' properties, farmers' access to credit and infrastructure, and changing market conditions. We argue that environmental interventions and policies need to consider potential livelihood impacts, especially if the policy intervention area has high poverty rates.

Source: Ecological Economics

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.02.004

Authors: Suhyun Jung, Laura Vang Rasmussen, Cristy Watkins, Peter Newton, Arun Agrawal

Institutions: University of Michigan, University of Colorado Boulder

Language: English

Topic: Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, No poverty, Decent work and economic growth, Climate action, Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,730