Stopping deforestation in the Amazon : trade-off between ecological and economic targets?.

Forstwirtschaft; Abholzung; Umweltökonomik; Allgemeines Gleichgewicht; Amazonasgebiet; Tropen;

Protecting Brazil's tropical forest: a CGE analysis of macroeconomic, sectoral, and regional policies

The 'deforestation problem' in Brazil consists of a variety of interrelated issues, of which this paper identifies a regional, sectoral and macroeconomic dimension. Using a regionally and sectorally disaggregated general equilibrium model of Brazil, it is shown that macroeconomic reform is complementary to conservation policies. Therefore, if not for other reasons, macroeconomic reform is urgently needed to provide an adequate framework for microeconomic conservation policies to be effective. The analysis also shows that regional land taxes in the Amazon outperform the reduction of fiscal incentives for agriculture, both with regards to ecological effectiveness and efficiency. Finally, the results do not support claims for compensation payments.deforestation,public policy,general equilibrium analysis,Brazil

National and international policies for tropical rain forest conservation: a quantitative analysis for Cameroon

This paper provides a numerical general equilibrium assessment of policies to reduce tropical deforestation in Cameroon. Market failure - mainly in the form of national and international externalities - and policy failures - such as highly distorted product markets - are identified as major sources of overexploitation. The ecological effects of deforestation control are shown to depend crucially upon its impact on land use patterns whereas its efficiency effects hinge on the manner in which a specified set-aside target is achieved. If the international community wants to ensure a higher level of protection of these forests, and to do so within a market-based system, the provision of conditional financial resources is necessary.

How does industrial protection affect the agricultural sector? A quantitative general equilibrium analysis for Peninsular Malaysia

This paper investigates quantitatively the effects of trade policy on agriculture in the empirical context of Peninsular Malaysia using a SAM-based multi-sectoral, general equilibrium model. The focus of the analysis is on the economy-wide implications of changes in tariffs on import-substituting manufacturing activities. In general, the results bear out the expectation that industrial protection distorts incentives favoring manufacturing and nontradable activities over agriculture as a whole. Whereas this result is familiar from other recent studies, the general-equilibrium approach allows many additional disaggregate findings. Industrial protection in Malaysia taxes, e.g., not all agricultural sectors. The rubber sector is discriminated by tariff protection for manufacturing, but the oil palm sector is favored due to strong forward linkages to the protected industries.