Is small‐scale agriculture really the main driver of deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon? Moving beyond the prevailing narrative

Abstract

A key premise underlying discussion about deforestation in Amazonian Peru is that small-scale or so-called migratory agriculture is the main driver of deforestation. This premise has been expressed in government documents and public outreach events. How the Peruvian government understands drivers of deforestation in the Amazon has profound implications for how it will confront the problem. It is therefore important to critically revisit assumptions underlying this narrative. We find that the narrative is based on remote sensing of deforestation patch sizes but not on field data, potentially conflating distinct drivers of deforestation under the umbrella of "migratory," "small-scale," or "subsistence" agriculture. In fact, small patches of deforested land may indicate any number of processes, including sustainable fallow management and agroforestry. Moreover, the data underlying the narrative tell us little about the actors driving these processes or their motivations. Different processes have distinct implications for environmental sustainability and require targeted policy responses. We unpack these diverse actors, geographies, and motivations of small-patch deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon and argue that differentiating among these drivers is necessary to develop appropriate policy responses. We call for researchers to revisit assumptions and critically assess the motivations of observed deforestation to appropriately target policy action.

Assessing Forest Cover Dynamics and Forest Perception in the Atlantic Forest of Paraguay, Combining Remote Sensing and Household Level Data

“…In general, a higher proportion of small-scale farms presented forest loss compared with medium-and large-scale farmers. Similar tendencies were found in several reports from Peruvian environmental agencies (e.g., Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation) that tag small-scale farmers as the principal responsible group for over 90% of the deforestation activities that occurred in the Peruvian Amazon [54]. However, it is important to clarify that the total area of forest loss between farm types was not considered in this study.…”

Overlooked biodiversity loss in tropical smallholder agriculture

“…In contrast to the large‐scale mechanized agriculture and ranching occurring in southeastern Amazonia, the principal driver of forest loss in the western Amazon is smallholder slash‐and‐burn agriculture (Finer & Novoa ; Ravikumar et al. ). Accurate estimates of regional slash‐and‐burn expansion are unavailable due to the difficulty of distinguishing expansion into primary forests from reclearing of secondary‐forest fallows (Ravikumar et al.…”

“…Accurate estimates of regional slash‐and‐burn expansion are unavailable due to the difficulty of distinguishing expansion into primary forests from reclearing of secondary‐forest fallows (Ravikumar et al. ), but the prospect of increased smallholder settlement in the wake of roadbuilding and hydrocarbons development has raised concerns for this bastion of tropical biodiversity. For example, the Interoceanic and trans‐Amazonian highways of Peru and Brazil have promoted rapid smallholder expansion along their routes (Oliveira et al.…”

Análisis de la gobernanza multinivel en Perú: Lecciones para REDD+ del estudio sobre cambio de uso del suelo y distribución de beneficios en Madre de Dios, Ucayali y San Martín

“…En tanto que los agricultores migrantes se dedican al cultivo de arroz, yuca, frijol, frijol caupí, plátano, maíz, piña y cítricos, entre otros, las operaciones a gran escala se dedican a la producción de palma aceitera para la obtención de biocombustible. A pesar de que el Gobierno peruano sostiene que la que denominan agricultura migratoria es el principal motor de la deforestación, varios autores no están de acuerdo (ver Ravikumar et al 2016). Estos autores señalan que no toda la producción agrícola de los pequeños propietarios involucra prácticas no sostenibles de producción.…”

“…Con el tiempo, sin embargo, la medida en que estas prácticas realmente impulsan la deforestación varía de forma considerable, como los datos obtenidos en Ucayali lo demuestran (ver Padoch et al 2008). Aún más, Ravikumar et al (2016) sostienen que la visión de que los pequeños agricultores representan un problema y son los principales impulsores de la deforestación implica que los pequeños propietarios toman malas decisiones y emplean los recursos de forma ineficiente e improductiva. Estos autores sostienen que una visión alternativa puede verlos bajo otra óptica como "sobrevivientes innovadores que responden a grandes dificultades para adaptar y proveer medios de vida en circunstancias difíciles y como contribuyentes a la generación de beneficios socioeconómicos a niveles regional y nacional" (Pinedo-Vásquez et al 2002).…”