Smallholder agricultural expansion in La Amistad Biosphere Reserve: Perceived vs. real impacts of cacao and cattle

Agricultural expansion by smallholder producers has been identified by management agencies as one of the main threats to the ecological integrity of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, in Panama and Costa Rica. Promotion of cacao agroforestry has been proposed as a way to reduce the need for farmers to clear new land within the reserve. In order to realize this goal, the larger cultural, economic, and political forces that motivate agricultural expansion need to be examined, looking beyond the smallholder practices that are the immediately apparent causes of ecological degradation. The four main assumptions behind the proposal to promote smallholder cacao production in the buffer zone are explored: (1) cacao agroforestry is an ecologically benign agricultural system; (2) if cacao production were more financially viable, ecologically degrading activities, such as cattle grazing, would decrease; (3) migrants from other areas are primarily responsible for clearing land on the eastern side of the park; and (4) direct intervention at the smallholder level is the most effective means of preventing agricultural expansion. Our analysis demonstrates that while cacao agroforestry is an ecologically appropriate production system for the buffer zone of the park, price and production stabilization is important for assuring adoption by smallholders. We also suggest that both indigenous and migrant groups are responsible clearing forest for agriculture and that a more useful distinction for managers to make is between clearing enacted as part of sustainable vs. unsustainable management regimes. Finally, we recommend that the impact to the biosphere reserve caused by large-scale cattle and banana production not be overlooked. Copyright © by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Author Elizabeth Shapiro - Garza Environmental Sciences and Policy