Challenges to smallholder forestry policy reform on a post-industrial logging frontier: lessons from the Amazon estuary

In 2013, policy makers from the Brazilian State of Amapa launched regulatory reforms intended to streamline options to formalize smallholder forest management. This paper reviews that policy reform process and analyses observations from local stakeholders to identify lessons for the promotion of smallholder forestry. In 2014, 2017 and 2021, interviews were conducted with family timber producers and sawmill operators in floodplain communities and regional timber buyers to evaluate the impact of the policy reform on their operations. Interviews with policy makers sought to understand the rationale behind the reform and how the process played out. Although the reform efforts were well intentioned, results illustrate how bureaucratic inertia and complexity obstructed efforts to simplify policy and how policy did not address smallholder needs. While the reforms did not have the intended effect, the case offers lessons for future policy reform efforts.

Automated summary

In 2013, policy makers in the Brazilian State of Amapa initiated reforms to simplify smallholder forest management options. This paper evaluates the reform process and examines the opinions of local stakeholders to determine lessons for promoting smallholder forestry. Interviews with timber producers, sawmill operators, and policy makers were conducted in 2014, 2017, and 2021 to assess the impact of the reform. The results show that bureaucratic complications hindered policy simplification and failed to address the needs of smallholders. However, the case provides valuable insights for future policy reform efforts.