Contradictory distributive principles and land tenure govern benefit-sharing of payments for ecosystem services (PES) in Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are incentive-based instruments that provide conditional economic incentives natural resources management. Research has shown when parachuted into rural communities, participation and benefits collectively negotiated shared. However, we know little about how benefit-sharing evolves over time in community-based PES. To address this gap, examine distributional justice four communities of the state Chiapas, Mexico, which participate a PES programme, assess local principles compare with programme’s goals. Our analysis reveals patterns both continuity change share benefits, reflect suite contradictory principles, including entitlement, merit, need, equality. The studied distribute by providing differentiated compensation to diverse groups landholders via private cash payments, whilst also attending non-landed community members through public infrastructure investments. We show is strongly influenced pre-existing land tenure features associated norms, study area include three different types individual common-property. Yet, continuously adjust arrangements navigate challenges emerging from programme engagement. Overall, novel insights on evolution, diversity, complexity distributive advocate context-sensitive, nuanced, dynamic account conservation.