Environmental and Economic Development Consequences of Forest and AgriculturalSector Policies in Latin America (A Synthesis of Case Studies of Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Bolivia)

摘要

This paper draws heavily on the results of case studies in Bolivia, Costa Rica,and Ecuador to explain how sectoral policies have tilted land use decisions against forestry and in favor of agriculture, and to present estimates of the economic development effects of those decisions. The paper summarizes information on forests and forest industries of the three countries, and it describes the framework within which policies are designed. It presents the effects of sectoral policies on land use and forest management, and then quantifies and discusses economic costs of relevant sectoral policies. Conclusions and recommendations for policy reform are offered.