Tropical forest seeds in the household economy: effects of market participation among three sociocultural groups in the Upper Xingu region of the Brazilian Amazon

Autor(es)

Urzedo, D. I. ^[1] ; Vidal, E. ^[1] ; Sills, E. O. ^[2] ; Pina-Rodrigues, F. C. M. ^[3] ; Junqueira, R. G. P. ^[4]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Forest Sci, BR-13418900 Piracicaba - Brazil

^[2] N Carolina State Univ, Dept Forestry & Environm Resources, Raleigh, NC 27695 - USA

^[3] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Environm Sci, BR-18052780 Sorocaba - Brazil

^[4] Inst Socioambiental, Programa Xingu, BR-70862530 Brasilia, DF - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION; v. 43, n. 1, p. 13-23, MAR 2016.
• Citações Web of Science: 5

Resumo

Government regulations have created new markets for non-timber forest products such as tropical forest seeds for ecological restoration and agroforestry in Brazil. This paper examines whether and how participation in the seed market has affected assets that will shape households' ability to pursue new livelihood opportunities. These impacts may vary across different dimensions of capital and among sociocultural groups. Impacts were characterized through semi-structured interviews following the sustainable livelihoods approach; 40 producers in the Xingu Seed Network, from settler farmer, urban and indigenous groups, were interviewed. The groups differed in perceptions of impacts on their natural, social and human capital, which could be related to the sociocultural background and vulnerability context of each group. Communities that were already organized were most likely to strengthen their social capital through participation. Cash income earned from sale of seeds was correlated with household-reported gains in financial capital, but not correlated with changes in other dimensions of capital. Contrary to expectations, sociocultural groups less integrated with the market achieved better livelihood outcomes through participation in the seed market. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 12/10142-4 - A socioeconomia do manejo comunitário e familiar das sementes florestais nas cabeceiras do rio Xingu, Mato Grosso
• Beneficiário: Danilo Ignacio de Urzedo
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 12/23464-0 - As sementes florestais tropicais na economia rural comunitária do rio Xingu na Amazônia Brasileira
• Beneficiário: Danilo Ignacio de Urzedo
• Linha de fomento: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Mestrado