OILSEED ACTIVITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE LINKAGES: FAMILY FARMING CASES FROM NORTHERN BRAZIL

Resumen

The  biofuel  production  has  been  strongly  discussed  in  Brazil,  leading  the  country  to develop  policies  and  implement,  in  2004,  a  biodiesel  program  (PNPB)  in  order  to  promote  rural  and regional  development.  Based  on  this,  the  present  study  aims  to  assess  the  linkages  between  the  oil seed activity and climate change, especially regarding the deforestation of native forests. Thus, a cross sectional study was conducted with small-scale farmers in Tocantins state, located in the Brazilian Legal Amazon  Region.  The  survey  was  conducted  in  2008  and  comprises  a  range  of  socio-economic  and environmental  indicators,  which  were  collected  among  smallholders  who  cultivate  Ricinus  Communisand  Jatropha  curcas  oil  seeds.  Aiming  at  having  more  accuracy  in  the  assessment  of  the  linkages, REDD  plus  project  analyses  were  also  performed  in  the  study.  Results  point  toward  a  positive relationship  between  oil  seed  production  and  deforestation  of  native  forests,  which  might  then,aggravates climate change.