Poverty and environment in Latin America: Concepts, evidence and policy implications

Who is responsible for the ongoing degradation of natural resources such as agricultural soils, rangeland, and forests? Evidence from across Latin America suggests that the nonpoor and the poor are both at fault. While the poor lack the means to invest in protecting natural resources, both the nonpoor and the poor often lack the incentives for good resource stewardship. Policies for agricultural intensification and livelihood diversification can alleviate poverty and its capacity constraint. But incentive policies for good stewardship are critically needed. Such policies should be targeted to specific environmental problems and tailored to the motivations of rural decision makers. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.