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Property rights, land conflicts and deforestation in the Eastern Amazon

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  • Puppim de Oliveira, Jose Antonio

Abstract

In the Brazilian Amazon, insecure property rights are among the main causes of land conflicts and deforestation. Through an in-depth empirical case study in Maranhao in the Eastern Amazon, this research analyzes how distorted agrarian, forest and environmental policies, laws and regulations originated insecure property rights not only over land, but also over timber, which allied to social and political factors, such as uneven distribution of land and strong organization of landless peasants, led to land conflicts and deforestation. This paper also shows that the causes of and the several actors involved in the deforestation of the Amazon were not independent, rather they were related and interact to each other. Compatibility between environmental goals and agrarian policies, regulations and laws are necessary to provide secure and clear property rights to allow a better enforcement of environmental regulations and to give actors incentives to avoid deforestation.

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  • Puppim de Oliveira, Jose Antonio, 2008. "Property rights, land conflicts and deforestation in the Eastern Amazon," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(5), pages 303-315, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:10:y:2008:i:5:p:303-315
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    3. Silva, Felipe & Fulginiti, Lilyan E. & Perrin, Richard K., 2016. "Did technical change in agricultural production decrease the emission of pollutants on the Amazon Forest during 1990-2009?," 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas 230092, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
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    6. Silva, Felipe & Perrin, Richard K. & Fulginiti, Lilyan E., 2016. "Tradeoffs between forests and farming in the Legal Amazon Region of Brazil," 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas 230040, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    7. Richard Perkins, 2013. "Sustainable Development and the Making and Unmaking of a Developing World," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 31(6), pages 1003-1022, December.
    8. Nandwani, Bharti, 2022. "Community forestry and its implications for land related disputes: Evidence from India," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    9. Daniella Tiemi Sasaki Okida & Osmar Abílio de Carvalho Júnior & Osmar Luiz Ferreira de Carvalho & Roberto Arnaldo Trancoso Gomes & Renato Fontes Guimarães, 2021. "Relationship between Land Property Security and Brazilian Amazon Deforestation in the Mato Grosso State during the Period 2013–2018," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
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    13. Lawson-Remer, Terra, 2013. "Do Stronger Collective Property Rights Improve Household Welfare? Evidence from a Field Study in Fiji," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 207-225.
    14. Gasparatos, Alexandros & Doll, Christopher N.H. & Esteban, Miguel & Ahmed, Abubakari & Olang, Tabitha A., 2017. "Renewable energy and biodiversity: Implications for transitioning to a Green Economy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 161-184.
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