Land reform policies, the sources of violent conflict, and implications for deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2000 · Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1006/jeem.1999.1103· OSTI ID:20026698

Alston, L J; Libecap, G D; Mueller, B

The authors examine land reform policies and their implications for violent conflict and resource use in the Brazilian Amazon. They identify the protagonists (land owners and squatters), derive their incentives to use violence, and show the role of legal inconsistencies as a basis for conflict. The authors describe the government agency involved in land reform, INCRA, and show that its intervention critically affects the actions of both squatters and land owners. Further, they point out the incentives for deforestation under land reform and associated insecure property rights to land. Forested lands are vulnerable to invasion by squatters and redistribution by INCRA. Using data from the Brazilian census and the Pastoral Land Commission, the authors examine the characteristics of regions where violent conflict predominates.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); Italian International Center for Economic Research
• OSTI ID: 20026698
• Journal Information: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Vol. 39, Issue 2; Other Information: PBD: Mar 2000; ISSN 0095-0696
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
BRAZIL
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
FORESTS
DEFORESTATION
LAND USE