Valoração de recursos naturais como instrumento de análise da expansão da fronteira agrícola na Amazônia

Abstract

This paper discusses the economic rationality of deforestation decisions in the agricultural frontier of the Amazon according to empirical valuation studies. This requires, nevertheless, an understanding of the theoretical foundation and methodological limitations within such an approach. Among other aspects usually neglected in empirical work, this paper emphasizes the questions of implicit subjectivity, the relevance of scale, and the definition of the object to be studied. As a consequence, the “multiplicity” of value is discussed: different valuation exercises may lead to divergent results. This discrepancy is particularly accentuated when the results obtained from the perspective of private profit are compared to those derived from the perspective of a fictitious global social planner.