Sweeping policies that reward people in environmentally sensitive areas for returning their farmlands to nature have been lauded as ecological triumphs. But a new Michigan State University study shows that over time some participants may become conservation martyrs.
Sweeping policies that reward people in environmentally sensitive areas for returning their farmlands to nature have been lauded as ecological triumphs. But a new Michigan State University study shows that over time some participants may become conservation martyrs.
Payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs have been global darlings for decades, tapping into the combined benefits of restoring forests and wildlife habitats, while also providing compensation to farmers and freeing them for new jobs that facilitate socio-economic development.
And in many cases, both sides have benefited. But in this week’s Science Advances, researchers for the first time have dug deeper than the obvious win-win pathways, revealing that as time passes, some people who signed up for these payment for ecosystem services plans get stuck with deals that may support sustainability, but aren’t sustainable for them.
“Payments for ecosystems services is a powerful tool to engage local people in conservation,” said Jianguo “Jack” Liu, a co-author and director of MSU’s Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability. “But it also requires holistic examination, because so many factors weigh on conservation success. This is particularly important for achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”
Read more at Michigan State University
Image: Chinese farmers harvest potatoes in the Wolong Nature Reserve. Sweeping conservation efforts have returned some cropland back to forest. (Credit: Michigan State University)
