Economic, Ecological, and Social Valuing of the Cuniculus paca Under the Ecuadorian Model of Good Living (“Buen vivir”)

Abstract

Departing from the current development and Ecuadorian strategy, this paper assesses the wildlife species named Cuniculus paca as a source of bushmeat for local rural communities settled along the Pacific coast. At the outset, two premises are setup: on the one hand, a distinction is made between Cuniculus paca as a positional good and as a relational good and, on the other hand, custom is assumed lying behind in its chasing process. Thereby, it proposes a methodology to value the aforementioned specie from both economic and ecological standpoints, but also incorporating in the later, the variable Good Living (“Buen vivir”), which is measured by the level of satisfaction of the relational good that is coproduced along hunting. It is also assumed that this supplementary activity carried out by local people is largely a tradition passed on from one generation to another. The paper also calculates the abundance average relative index to place the Cuniculus paca population in the wild. An econometric model is then specified to estimate the effect of Good Living (“Buen vivir”) on its social value of the Cuniculus paca. Based upon the estimated results, some right policies to ensure a sustainable management of such resource are brought to the fore to ensure the bushmeat consumption among local peasants, in line with the Good Living (“Buen vivir”) convocation.