São Félix do Xingu (SFX) is one of the largest municipalities in the world and has historically been a major contributor to deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The Sustainable Landscapes Pilot Program1 (or simply, the pilot program) being implemented by TNC in SFX supports REDD+ efforts by addressing the major underlying causes of deforestation in the municipality. With a focus on sustainable land-use alternatives for rural economic development, the initiative aims to involve different local actors (local organizations, government agencies, smallholders, medium-and large-scale farmers, and indigenous people) to create a politically and economically favorable scenario for reducing deforestation. This diversity of actors is the distinctive characteristic of the initiative; it is also one of its main challenges. This chapter shows how REDD+ plays out in a jurisdiction with a wide range of diverse actors and the role that smallholders play in this context. The diversity of actors required the initiative to adopt a mix of different strategies to reduce deforestation. Developing the right mix required consideration of the relevant institutions, interests, ideas and information - the 4Is framework, as defined by Brockhaus and Angelsen (2012). The case also shows that even when benefits reflect local demands, they may not be sufficient to achieve transformational change. This requires an enabling ‘policyscape,' defined as the spatial expression of a policy mix (Barton et al. 2013) that includes ‘command and control,' economic incentives and information sharing (Vatn 2005). Finally, the initiative clearly demonstrates how REDD+ is being adapted to reflect potential conservation and development synergies on a large scale, suggesting that strategies with broader and multilevel goals beyond solely mitigation of climate change and results-based funding are shaping what comes after REDD+.

Authors: Gebara, M.F.

Subjects: climate change

Publication type: Chapter-R, Publication

Year: 2014