Landscape Transformation in Tropical Latin America: Assessing Trends and Policy Implications for REDD+

Abstract

Important transformations are underway in tropical landscapes in Latin America with implications for economic development and climate change. Landscape transformation is driven not only by national policies and markets, but also by global market dynamics associated with an increased role for transnational traders and investors. National and global trends affect a disparate number of social, political and economic interactions taking place at the local level, which ultimately shapes land-use and socio-economic change. This paper reviews five different trajectories of landscape change in tropical Latin America, and discusses their implications for development and conservation: (1) Market-driven growth of agribusiness; (2) expansion and modernization of traditional cattle ranching; (3) slow growth of peasant agriculture; (4) logging in production forest frontiers; and (5) resurgence of agro-extractive economies. Contrasting trade-offs between economic development and forest conservation emerge across these OPEN ACCESSForests 2011, 2 2 landscapes, calling for nuanced policy responses to manage them in the context of climate change. This discussion sets the background to assess how reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing carbon stocks (REDD+) aims should be better aligned with current landscape trajectories and associated actors to better address climate-change mitigation in forest landscapes with effective and equitable outcomes.

Navigating challenges and opportunities of land degradation and sustainable livelihood development in dryland social–ecological systems: a case study from Mexico

“…In recent decades, drivers influencing the decision-making of these communities have shifted directionally from local to global by the adoption of neoliberal economies which feed back on fundamental assets of local SESs [116]. This trend is widespread in rural regions of Latin America as they increasingly depend on and respond to global market dynamics, and increasingly ignore the production limitations of local small household farms [118,119]. This is of great concern as rural environments are the longterm basis for the development of farming-based livelihoods [120], which perhaps are the most frequent livelihoods in developing countries.…”

A Comparison of Governance Challenges in Forest Restoration in Paraguay’s Privately-Owned Forests and Madagascar’s Co-managed State Forests

“…Furthermore, the role of "neutral" parties (such as international NGOs) appears critical in implementing management transfers in Madagascar (e.g., [66]). At the local level, tensions between local stakeholders, in particular communities or indigenous groups, versus private landowners, are particularly relevant in Paraguay (e.g., [13,61]) but also in Madagascar (e.g., [38,67]). …”

“…In Paraguay, like in other parts of South America, restoration efforts must compete with lucrative agricultural commodities which are themselves promoted by subsidies [61], while in Madagascar, the household economy and the need to practice at least some subsistence agriculture impacts on decisions with respect to forest restoration. In both cases, economic incentives for restoration likely need to be increased in order to offer an alternative to the prevailing context.…”

Tenure Security and Land Appropriation under Changing Environmental Governance in Lowland Bolivia and Pará

“…The scope of these policies has changed over time, although the bulk of incentives (e.g., subsidized credit, tax holidays) has targeted agribusiness [10]; investments in roads development, improved access to national and international commodity markets, and policy measures that legitimized land occupation have also benefited agribusiness [11,12]. As a result, agribusiness has expanded rapidly [13], and is currently comprised of medium-and large-scale landholdings with strong market and financial ties to national and transnational corporations that have contributed to expanding the existing capacity for primary processing, modernizing the value chains, and strengthening the linkages of specialized farmers to more distant globalized markets [14].…”