From Sustainable Development to “Productive Conservation:” Forest Conservation Options and Agricultural Income and Assets in the Brazilian Amazon*

Abstract

Abstract This paper assesses arguments for the “productive conservation” thesis, which contends that family farming in tropical regions such as the Amazon can generate significant income and assets while maintaining forest cover. Data come from a 1996 survey of households in Uruará, a community along the Transamazon highway in Brazil. A descriptive analysis shows that households engaged in intensification, diversification, and forestry, proposed as important methods for forest conservation, and that they earned U.S.$1,600 from agricultural production and owned properties worth U.S.$16,500. A multivariate analysis shows that components of small farm systems associated with forest conservation made significant contributions to agricultural incomes and property values. I suggest that productive conservation requires community action which fosters ties with outside institutions while educating producers.