Constructing mechanisms for payment of environmental services in the Brazilian sugarcane belt in the state of São Paulo through participatory methods

Author(s)

Moara Almeida Canova Teixeira

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Rio Claro. 2017-06-28.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Instituto de Biociências. Rio Claro
• Defense date: 2016-09-15
• Advisor: David Montenegro Lapola; Patrícia Fernanda Pinho

Abstract

Brazil is a major producer and exporter of agricultural commodities and a world power in terms of biodiversity and water resources. With the ongoing process of land-use intensification, it becomes increasingly important to investigate and promote potential synergies between agriculture and natural resources conservation, mostly represented through the concept of Ecosystem Services (ES). Therefore, economic instruments such as Payment for Environmental Services (PSA) are an alternative to ensure the maintenance of ecological processes concomitant to agricultural activity. The new version of the Brazilian Forest Code (BFC nº 12651/2012) of the Brazilian Environmental Legislation (BEL) predicts payment or incentives for the conservation of ecosystems that provide services. However, the text of this law leaves gaps regarding implementation mechanisms. Based on these aspects, this dissertation addresses three chapters on ES and PES, the first of which is a general presentation of the theme and the methodology used in the following chapters. The chapter 2 begins the investigation of the services the most relevance provided in the areas of sugarcane and food production in Rio Claro (inside sugarcane belt in São Paulo state), according farmers’ perspective of these two groups. As results, both groups show perspectives of synergy, but also significant distinctions regarding the perception on the ES provided in the different landscapes. The services relative to local climate regulation and water maintenance are important for agricultural development, farmers and urban population well-being, overall. While pollination, seed dispersal and pest control were services recognized only by food farmers. Therefore, political point of view of farmers and decision-makers from Rio Claro municipality, referring to the operationalization of the SA, converged in payments destined to the preservation of forest remnants of compulsory custody (i.e. Permanent Preservation Area-PPA and Legal Reserve- LR) in order to protect the water springs. Therefore, political point of view of farmers and decision-makers from Rio Claro municipality, referring to the operationalization of the ES converged in payments destined to the preservation of forest remnants of compulsory custody (i.e. Permanent Preservation Area-PPA and Legal Reserve- LR) in order to protect the water springs. Nevertheless, there were opinion conflicts among the actors, supposing that public authorities decide to implement PES schemes that only contemplate producers with PPA and LR deficits, in detriment of those who have always been in agreement with LAB. This, in turn, cam characterize social and economic externalities in the context of public policy. Finally, in chapter 3, the comparison of PES experiences between Brazil and Scotland showed us that, the integration of agricultural, environmental and economic public policy with a common and clear financing fund helps to attenuate bureaucratic processes of budgetary management and reduces the conflicts between payers and beneficiaries in local PES projects. In additional, it was concluded which, the study participatory approach, involving several social actors, among them the scientific body, made possible to comprehension of the different actor’s perspective at the local level either agricultural of large-scale (sugarcane) or familiar scale (food production), as well as, of decision making for national ES requirements. Thus, the study demonstrates need of various and complexes steps to ES operationalization and its possibility in the management of natural resources, in reason of the expansion of agricultural commodities, as well as, in local where there is accelerated loss of ES. Therefore, the study is relevant for the elaboration of public policies aimed at the implementation of PES in the context of agricultural development and degraded landscapes. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/08345-0 - Construction of compensation mechanisms for environmental services in the sugarcane belt of the paulista interior using participatory methods
• Grantee: Moara Almeida Canova Teixeira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master