Buying environmental services from private landholders using tendering mechanisms are usually subject to a budget constraint. Auction theory has mostly focused on target-constrained auctions and is not well developed for this type of auction. This paper examines the predictive capacity of a simple model developed for budget-constrained tenders, already used to design new conservation programs, ...

This paper examines the inverse relationship hypothesis (IR-H) between farm size and agricultural productivity in Nicaragua using parametric nonparametric methods designed specifically for panel data. The data employed are from World Bank’s Living Standards Measurement Study years 1998, 2001 2005. analysis reveals strong support IR-H based on a number of alternative specifications. results mode...

7 About 2% of English-language literature on plantations deals with mixed-species 8 plantations, but only a tiny proportion (<0.1%) of industrial plantations are 9 polycultures. Small landholders are more innovative, with 12% of Australia’s farm 10 forestry plantations under mixed-species plantings, and 80% of Queensland’s farm 11 forestry as polycultures. We examine reasons for this discrepanc...

The wet, warm West Coast climate favours tree production and pastures. Much of the land remains in indigenous forest under the control of Government agencies. In the more accessible parts of this land, and in land held under private ownership, we explore the feasibility of “farming” two examples of native biodiversity. Sphagnum moss production varies with location and differences in mesoand mic...

The transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture is key for economic growth. But what are the consequences for nutritional outcomes? The evidence to date has been scant and inconclusive. This study contributes to the debate by revisiting two prevailing wisdoms: (a) market participation by African smallholders remains low; and (b) the impact of commercialization on nutritional outcomes ...

This paper examines the coastal ejido (collectives of peasant landholders) sector’s response to the 1992 amendment to Article 27 of Mexico’s Constitution, which for the first time legalized the sale and rental of ejido lands. Our analysis is based on a case study of southern Sonora, Mexico. The results indicate a shift in land tenure from the ejido to the private sector and a corresponding conv...

In developing countries across the globe the impact of livestock on deforestation levels has been profound. This paper explores the role of the cattle industry in household decision making for small landholders in the Brazilian Amazon. Important inquiries raised in the literature are addressed, including the determinants of the co-evolution of deforestation and cattle herds, the possibility of ...

In developing countries, where a majority of families derive their livelihoods from agriculture, sustainable agriculture cannot be discussed in isolation of sustainable rural livelihoods. Sustainable rural livelihood is a multifaceted concept and refers to maintenance or enhancement of access of rural families to food and income-generating activities on a long-term basis. It encompasses secured...

Landholders, departmental agencies and other stakeholders have long been involved in knowledge building of the physical elements affecting land use. Often, however, this has been without any accompanying information on social and economic impacts, or systems for exploring catchment trade-off decisions. RIMIS is the concept of a regional management system designed for landscape managers. It has ...