Integration into the market among indigenous peoples - A cross-cultural perspective from the Ecuadorian Amazon

The integration of indigenous peoples into the market economy has received attention in the literature because of its implications for both human well-being and ecological viability. Previous studies that have examined the impacts of market participation on variables such as forest clearance, health, and ecological knowledge vary greatly in their measures of market involvement and often use only one or a few measures. Examination of data from five indigenous populations in the northern Ecuadorian Amazon shows little correlation between various measures of integration into the market and points to the importance of using a diversity of measures of both household production and consumption.