Beyond Reducing Deforestation: Impacts of a REDD+ Project on Household Livelihoods

Gabriela Demarchi, Julie Subervie (), Caue Carrilho, Thibault Catry () and Stibniati Atmadja
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Gabriela Demarchi: UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement
Julie Subervie: CEE-M - Centre d'Economie de l'Environnement - Montpellier - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement - UM - Université de Montpellier
Caue Carrilho: USP - Universidade de São Paulo = University of São Paulo
Thibault Catry: UMR 228 Espace-Dev, Espace pour le développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - AU - Avignon Université - UR - Université de La Réunion - UM - Université de Montpellier - UG - Université de Guyane - UA - Université des Antilles, IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Stibniati Atmadja: CIFOR - Center for International Forestry Research - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]

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Abstract: Understanding why forest conservation initiatives succeed is essential to designing cost-effective programs. In this study, we investigate the impacts of a REDD+ project on both environmental and livelihood outcomes in the Brazilian Transamazon region, an area with historically high deforestation rates. Using counterfactual impact evaluation methods applied to survey and remote-sensing data, we assess the impact of the project over 2013–2019, from its first year until two years after its end. Based on a theory of change, we focus on land use and socioeconomic outcomes affected by the initiative. Our findings reveal specific impact mechanisms: forest conservation occurred primarily through reducing pasture expansion, while cattle production was maintained through intensification (increased stocking rates). Additionally, the project led to significantly higher agrobiodiversity among participating farms and promoted alternative livelihoods that generated greater revenue while using less land. These results suggest that conservation programs that combine conditional payments with technical assistance and support for adopting low-impact activities can effectively reduce deforestation in the short term and induce lasting changes in production systems, with positive effects persisting even after program completion.

Keywords: REDD+; CO2 emissions; impact evaluation; livelihood; Brazilian Amazon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-06-24
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-05136308v1
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Published in The Journal of Development Studies, inPress, ⟨10.1080/00220388.2025.2515878⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05136308

DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2025.2515878

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