This chapter spells out the theoretical framework for the discussion and case studies of the book. First, it provides precise definitions of technological change and classify technological change into different types based on their factor intensities. The discussion starts off with a single farm household. Two key concepts for understanding how that household will respond to technological changes are economic incentives and constraints. The former relates to how new technologies influence the economic return of different activities.
Search results
Showing items 1 through 9 of 5.-
Library ResourceJournal Articles & BooksDecember, 2001
-
Library ResourceJournal Articles & BooksDecember, 2001
This final chapter of the book offers a set of policy recommendations. It presents some typical win-win outcomes, including technologies suited for forest poor areas, labour intensive technologies promoting intensification to replace land extensive farming practices, and promoting agricultural systems that provide environmental services similar to those of natural forests.
-
Library ResourceJournal Articles & BooksDecember, 2001
This introductory chapter sets the scene for the discussion in the edited volume on how new agricultural affects tropical forests. It critically reviews four hypotheses that have been central in the claim that better technologies help protect forests: the Borlaug, the subsistence, the economic development and the land degradation-deforestation hypotheses. Each of them appears to be valid only under certain restrictive conditions. The chapter then gives the aims and scope of the book, the key conclusions, as well as a summary of each of the chapters.
-
Library ResourceJournal Articles & BooksDecember, 2001
Do improvements in agricultural technology protect or endanger tropical forests? This book examines this controversial issue. It includes both theoretical frameworks for analysing the issue as well as case studies covering a wide range of geographical regions, technologies, market conditions and types of agricultural procedures. The authors identify technologies, contexts and policies that are likely to be beneficial to both farmers and forests.
-
Library ResourceJournal Articles & BooksDecember, 2001
This chapter summarises the key insights from the case studies included in the book. First, it discusses the technology-deforestation link in six different types of cases: developed countries, commodity booms, shifting cultivation, permanent upland (rainfed) agriculture, irrigated (lowland) agriculture, and cattle production. Next, it returns to the hypotheses presented in the book, and discusses the key conditioning factors in the technology-deforestation link. A number of factors determine the outcome.
Land Library Search
Through our robust search engine, you can search for any item of the over 64,800 highly curated resources in the Land Library.
If you would like to find an overview of what is possible, feel free to peruse the Search Guide.