Préface

Ce livre arrive à point nommé. Depuis la publication du Millenium Ecosystem Assessment en 2005, le terme « service écosystémique » a vu son influence se renforcer en tant que concept pivot dans les domaines de l’évaluation, la politique et la gouvernance environnementale dans le monde entier. La vitesse de diffusion du paradigme des services écosystémiques dans les cercles universitaires et politiques a été très impressionnante. En quelques années, il est d..

Justification and Scope of the Book

Academic schools are important institutions for consolidating and disseminating ideas. They can be defined as diffused communities held together by a collectively constructed body of knowledge, a shared worldview and a network of social relations. Identifying and delimiting academic schools might be a hard endeavor, since they are embedded in a fluid "state of spirit," which is context- and time-specific, and not always easy to systematize and communicate. However, we still think that the notion (or metaphor) of "school" still makes sense to characterize the bonding elements that hold together and give coherence to the diverse ideas, debates and approaches represented in this book

Payments for Environmental Services in Watersheds: Insights From a Comparative Study of three Cases in Central America

We have compared three cases of payments for water-related environmental services (PES) in Central America, in terms of socioeconomic background, opportunity costs of forest conservation and stakeholders’ perceptions on the conditions of water resources and other issues. We found that, in general, the foregone benefits from land uses alternative to forest cover are larger than the amount paid, which apparently contradicts the economic foundation of PES schemes. A number of possible explanations are explored. The results also suggest that trade-offs between different environmental and social goals are likely to emerge in PES schemes, posing some doubts on their ability to be multipurpose instruments for environmental improvement and rural development. We also found that PES schemes may work as a conflictresolution instrument, facilitating downstream -upstream problem solving, though at the same time they might introduce changes in social perceptions of property rights.environmental services, watershed management, rural development, property rights, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua.

The Barcelona School of Ecological Economics and Political Ecology : Building Bridges Between Moving Shores

This chapter aims to give an overarching vision of the plural epistemological basis of the Barcelona school of ecological economics and political ecology, as well as to provide examples of the cross-fertilization between disciplines, methods and approaches that we think constitute one of the main contributions of the School. The chapter identifies the main bonding elements of the scholars that belong to the School, briefly explains the diverse core concepts and methods on which the School relies, and elaborates on how the interaction between them have resulted in an original and relevant research program during the past 30 years

Social Equity Matters in Payments for Ecosystem Services

Although conservation efforts have sometimes succeeded in meeting environmental goals at the expense of equity considerations, the changing context of conservation and a growing body of evidence increasingly suggest that equity considerations should be integrated into conservation planning and implementation. However, this approach is often perceived to be at odds with the prevailing focus on economic efficiency that characterizes many payment for ecosystem services (PES) schemes. Drawing from examples across the literature, we show how the equity impacts of PES can create positive and negative feedbacks that influence ecological outcomes. We caution against equity-blind PES, which overlooks these relationships as a result of a primary and narrow focus on economic efficiency. We call for further analysis and better engagement between the social and ecological science communities to understand the relationships and trade-offs among efficiency, equity, and ecological outcomes

Governance of ecosystem services in agroecology : when coordination is needed but difficult to achieve

Transitioning towards agroecology involves the integration of biodiversity based ecosystem services into farming systems: for example, relying on biological pest control rather than pesticides. One promising approach for pest control relies on the conservation of semi-natural habitats at the landscape scale to encourage natural enemies of insect pests. However, this approach may require coordination between farmers to manage the interdependencies between the providers and beneficiaries of this ecosystem service. The main objective of this study was to identify hindrances to landscape-scale coordination strategies to control pests. To this end, we used a theoretical framework specifically designed to explore social interdependencies linked to ecosystem services. We applied this framework to a participatory research case study on pest control in apple orchards in southwest France to identify and describe key obstacles. We found four main impediments: (1) The perception of most stakeholders that the landscape does not deliver significant pest control services, (2) the challenge of coping with agroecological uncertainties, (3) an integrated vertical supply chain focused on pesticide use, (4) the existence of independent, non-collective alternatives. We discuss the potential of overcoming these obstacles or turning them into opportunities that promote a transition to agroecology and the integration of ecosystem services in farms and their supply chains

Construyendo cadenas de valor incluyentes: una comparación de dos casos de biocomercio en suramérica

Este artículo analiza la configuración de redes de innovación en dos casos de cadenas de valor de biocomercio en Suramérica: producción de salsas de ajíes con frutas amazónicas en Colombia y producción de perfumes en Brasil a partir de aceites esenciales provenientes de Ecuador. Por medio de la integración de dos perspectivas teóricas, los autores resaltan tanto los aspectos económicos como socioculturales que influencian la configuración de estas redes. Esto permite considerar las tensiones, sinergias y contradicciones entre las lógicas del mercado y las prácticas, significados y valores socioculturales locales. Sacando lecciones aprendidas de los estudios de caso, el artículo contribuye a la discusión teórica sobre cómo las cadenas de valor (incluyentes) son social y económicamente construidas, y cómo su desempeño está relacionado con las redes de innovación.The article analyzes the configuration of networks of innovation in two cases of inclusive biotrade value chains: The production of spicy sauces with Amazonian fruits in Colombia and the production of perfumes in Brazil, based on oily essences originating from a dry forest in Ecuador. Through the integration of theoretical perspectives, the authors highlight both the economic and socio-cultural elements that impinge on the performance of these networks. This enables them to consider the tensions, synergies and contradictions between market logics and local socio-cultural practices, meanings and values. Drawing lessons from the cases, the authors aim to contribute to the theoretical discussion on how (inclusive) value chains are socially and economically constructed, and how their performance is related to innovation networks