Busch, C: Deforestation in the Southern Yucatán

This book explores recent trends in deforestation in the Southern Yucatán (SY) of Mexico. Our main empirical finding is that in recent years the expansion of pasture for cattle has driven net forest loss, i.e. deforestation, in the area we studied in the SY. The story that emerges from modeling results and other evidence is one in which behavior is driven by the interplay of incentives, underlying constraints, a lack of alternative opportunities, government inducements, and household preferences including risk aversion. Cattle ranching reduces ...