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The last few years have seen the emergence of different initiatives designed to promote the biodiversification of agroecosystems as a counterpoint to the global expansion of homogenized industrial agriculture. In Brazil, two food procurement programs demonstrate the potential to promote discussions related to this agroecological transition: the National School Meal Program (Programa Nacional de Alimenta&ccedil, &atilde, o Escolar, PNAE) and the Food Procurement Program (Programa de Aquisi&ccedil, o de Alimentos, PAA). The objectives of this paper are to analyze: (a) how these procurement programs currently integrate agrobiodiversity (crops and cropping systems) according to the local context, (b) the main challenges that key stakeholders perceive for the adoption of biodiverse systems, and (c) the extent to which the key stakeholders involved in these programs associate agrobiodiversity with the provision of ecosystem services. We carried out this research in 2017 in two contrasting municipalities in the eastern part of the Brazilian Amazon, Paragominas and Irituia. Our research shows that these programs have included up to 42 species in Irituia and 32 species in Paragominas. Perennial crop species are the most common type of culture in Irituia (up to 50%), while vegetables are the most common in Paragominas (up to 47%). Although in both municipalities stakeholders identify a large number of ecosystem services (up to 17), services mentioned in Irituia were more closely related to agrobiodiversity. Stakeholders indirectly associated with the programs have a broader view of ecosystem services. We conclude that these procurement programs can be useful tools to promote the biodiversification of local production systems, but their potential may depend on involving institutions not directly associated with their administration. Additionally, despite the observed differences in production context, providing more ecosystem services appears to be a compelling motivation for promoting changes in agroecosystems.

In Brazil, the forest legislation has opened up new options for forest restoration by smallholders, allowing in particular the use of agroforestry in conservation areas. This has triggered a vigorous national debate, involving social movements, scientists and policy makers: while these legislative changes may encourage farmers to engage in restoration, the provision of environmental services greatly varies according to the type of agroforestry system (AFS). However, few studies go beyond the technical aspects of restoration and studies assessing the social drivers are urgently needed. To contribute to this debate, we analyzed restoration experiences of farmers in the Eastern Amazon, where there is a great diversity of AFS. Our objective was to understand why farmers had engaged in forest restoration and how these motivations influenced their management practices. Based on 136 questionnaires with farmers and in-depth analyses of their AFS, we elaborated a typology of different restoration systems based on the practices involved, in particular the number of species (see figure 1). 78% of farmers restore through AFS. Most of those who have pragmatical motivations (water, soil, products) have less diverse AFS. Those with broader environmental motivations (preoccupation with overall degradation and biodiversity loss) have more diverse systems. This points to the importance of building more awareness about the potential role of biodiversity in restoring environmental services.

Agroforestry systems (AFS) are recognized as being a land use system that can improve the sustainability of agroecosystems (Wilson et al, 2016). However, low market opportunities for its products is one of the challenges for its adoption, especially the more diversified AFS (Coq-Huelva, 2016). With this perspective, the Brazillian National School Meal Program (Pro-grama Nacional de Alimentação Escolar, PNAE) and Food Procurement Program (Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos, PAA) have emerged in the last decade as public policies aimed at stimulating purchasing of local products (Grisa & Porto, 2015). This research aims at assessing how the programs have encouraged biodiversification and in particular in AFS. We compare two municipalities in the Brazilian Amazon, Paragominas and Irituia. By realizing interviews with local stakeholders and review of documents, we identify the variety of products that have been acquired through programs representing different cropping systems (Table 1). The AFSs are the most significant cropping system purchased by the programs in Irituia, differently from Paragominas. This can be explained by the set of background initiatives improving AFSs car-ried out in Irituia. Programs, in this case, have emerged as one of the drivers of this expansion process. We conclude that the programs have a great potential to act on the expansion of diversified systems such as the AFSs, as long as they are associated to other actions present at the local level.

En Amazonie orientale, de nombreux petits agriculteurs ont spontanément entrepris des expériences de restauration des forêts, principalement par le biais de systèmes agroforestiers. Pour aider à la définition de politiques de restauration plus inclusives, il est important d'évaluer la viabilité socio-économique et les avantages écologiques des différents systèmes. Suivant une approche de modélisation d'accompagnement, un outil de simulation interactive a été développé pour permettre d'explorer comment et pourquoi les petits exploitants s'engageraient dans des systèmes de production davantage orientés vers les systèmes agroforestiers. L'équipe de recherche a proposé une première version d'une représentation stylisée de 4 exploitations familiales similaires tant du point de vue de la taille (25 ha) que de l'occupation du sol. Ce paysage virtuel est utilisé comme un plateau de jeu. Lors des sessions de jeu, les participants, regroupés en 4 équipes dont chacune prend en charge une propriété, sont invités à prendre des décisions agricoles annuelles pour gérer leur exploitation de 25 ha. En fonction de leur budget et de leur main-d'oeuvre (fixés à l'identique pour les 4 propriétés au début du jeu), ils doivent sélectionner les activités qu'ils souhaitent exercer, les localiser sur le plateau de jeu et indiquer les pratiques associées à ces activités. Ces décisions sont saisies dans un modèle de simulation informatique qui permet de simuler la croissance des plantes et de calculer un ensemble d'indicateurs permettant d'évaluer l'équilibre entre les avantages environnementaux et socio-économiques. Un projecteur a ultra-courte focale permet de projeter horizontalement la représentation informatisée des exploitations, matérialisant ainsi un plateau de jeu dont la remise à jour est automatisée. L'intérêt de disposer d'un support de simulation informatique est de pouvoir " faire tourner " les systèmes de production mis en place sur chaque exploitation de manière interactive au cours de quelques tours de jeu (généralement 3) jusqu'à un horizon temporel de 10 ans, une durée minimale pour discuter de la performance de systèmes dans lesquels des cultures pérennes peuvent occuper une place importance. Pour concevoir les éléments du jeu, la première maquette a été soumise à un groupe de 4 agriculteurs de la commune d'Irituia (Nord-Est de l'état du Para, en Amazonie Brésilienne) sélectionnés pour leur expérience des systèmes agroforestiers. Un premier ensemble d'activités agricoles a été introduit dans le jeu. Outre deux activités très fortement ancrées dans cette région (la culture annuelle du manioc pour produire de la farine et le palmier Açaí dont le fruit est utilisé dans la préparation d'une boisson très appréciée dans tout le pays), trois types de systèmes agro-forestiers représentant les principaux stéréotypes identifiés par les enquêtes de terrain ont été spécifiés. Les premiers tests du jeu ont été réalisés avec des élèves d'une école rurale (Itabocal) de la commune d'Irituia. La plupart des familles des étudiants de cette école pratiquent l'agriculture dans des exploitations du type de celles représentées dans le jeu. Ces sessions de test ont permis de calibrer le jeu : les valeurs des paramètres de coûts monétaires d'implantation et de maintenance, besoins en main-d'oeuvre et revenus des activités ont été ajustées. Trois indicateurs ont été définis pour permettre de discuter des résultats du point de vue de l'économie, de la qualité de l'environnement et des conditions de travail. Les documents synthétisant les informations propres aux activités pouvant être mises en oeuvre dans le jeu se présentaient sous forme de tableaux. Dans un deuxième temps, un certain nombre de pratiques associées aux activités (préparation du sol, fertilisation, désherbage, lutte contre les nuisibles, apport en eau) ont été introduites dans le jeu. De nouvelles sessions de test ont été réalisées, avec les élèves de l'école rurale mais également avec les participants à un congrès international d'ethnobiologie organisé dans la capitale de l'Etat, avec les scientifiques impliqués dans le projet de recherche dans le cadre duquel le jeu a été développé, et enfin avec des groupes d'agriculteurs n'ayant pas été impliqués dans la première phase. Les supports du jeu ont été améliorés : des cartes à jouer ont remplacées les feuilles de tableaux. Plus facilement manipulables et présentant l'information de manière plus visuelle, elles libèrent l'espace et laissent libre court aux discussions entre les joueurs. Un tableur Excel a également été conçu pour assister les joueurs dans la vérification de la faisabilité (en termes de coûts monétaires et de temps de travail) des plans d'activités/pratiques envisagés. A l'issue de ces deux premières phases, la partie " conception " s'est achevée. La phase d'utilisation du jeu a récemment débuté. Pour apprécier dans quelle mesure les spécificités du contexte local se retrouvent dans les décisions des participants aux sessions de jeu, en d'autres termes le degré de généricité du jeu versus sa capacité à provoquer des considérations des participants sur leur compréhension/perception du système réel, nous avons réalisé une première série de 2x2 sessions dans deux contextes différents : 2 sessions à Irituia, c'est-à-dire dans la région où le jeu a été conçu, puis 2 sessions dans la commune voisine de Paragominas. Dans chacun de ces contextes, la première des deux sessions a regroupé des acteurs institutionnels et la seconde des agriculteurs. Nous présentons une analyse des résultats de ces quatre sessions et discutons de l'intérêt d'utiliser le jeu pour expliciter des connaissances, faire émerger des idées et partager des représentations spécifiques à chaque type de participants.

Natural regeneration represents more than half of all tropical forests. Within the Brazilian Amazon, the area of regenerating forest increased by 70% between 2004 and 2014, currently occupying more than 17 million hectares. These ecosystems have an important social roles, such as increasing food security and alleviating poverty among thousands of family farmers in the Amazon, while also being important repositories of biodiversity and carbon. Brazil has made bold commitments to the restoration of 12 million ha of forest by 2030 through the Bonn Challenge, Initiative 20 × 20, and its Forest Code law. The management of natural regeneration can be a viable alternative for accomplishing these commitments with less socioeconomic costs and higher environmental benefits. Here, we present a collation of different studies from the authors addressing natural regeneration on family farmers' land in the Eastern Amazon, aiming to address three overarching questions: i) How diverse are tree communities on these lands following natural regeneration? ii) What proportion of trees in regenerating forests have potential use recorded in the literature? iii) What are the real uses and motivations for farmers to maintain and manage these areas. We performed field surveys in 10m x 250m transects placed in regenerating forest fragments, followed by a literature review on potential uses for the dominant trees (> 80% of basal area). We separated the different uses in categories encompassing timber and non-timber forest products-NTPF (e.g. medicine, ornamental, food, handcraft, firewood). We applied semi-structured interviews and use the likert-scale to understand the uses and motivations for managing natural regeneration. The high tree diversity in the studied regenerating forests (up to 120 species ha-1) is reflected by a high variety of potential uses reported in the literature. Using an old regenerating forest plot (~50 years) as a case study in Northeast Pará, we found the vast majority of species reported in the literature as having potential for timber (76%), followed by firewood/charcoal (34%), medicine (29%) and food (20%). Natural regeneration has been used by family farmers in the Northeast of Pará for multiple uses, but mainly for extracting timber (50%) and hunting (18%). In fact, NTPF- extraction and beekeeping management are important motivations for family farmers to conserve naturally regenerating areas. Despite the high potential for Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration, the reality is that these areas continue to be prioritized for slash-and-burn agriculture. Therefore, public policies are needed to encourage family farmers to protect areas under natural regeneration to capitalize on the potential this form of restoration offers in the Amazon.

In the Eastern Amazon, many small-scale farmers have been spontaneously initiating expe-riences in forest restoration, mainly through agroforestry systems. To guide more inclusiverestoration policies, it is important to assess the socio-economic viability and ecological benefits of the different systems. Following a companion modelling approach, simulation and gaming tools were developed to enable exploring how and why smallholders would engage in farming systems oriented toward agroforestry systems. A stylized model of 4 similar 25-hafamily farms was first designed by researchers. This virtual landscape represents a game board. During gaming sessions, participants are requested to select the activities they would like to perform, to locate them in the game board and to indicate the practices related to these activities. These human-made decisions are inputted into a computer simulation model that allows simulating the growth of the plants and calculating a set of indicators to assess the balance between environmental and socioeconomic benefits. This tool has been co-designed with a small group of farmers from the Municipe of Irituia (North-eastern Para, Brazil) who were selected because of the experience in agroforestry systems. The game was then tested by students from Itabocal, a rural school of Irituia Municipe. We present how it enabled fostering knowledge sharing among students, farmers and researchers.

The companion modelling approach aims at stimulating social learning among stakeholders through the interactive use of agent-based simulation models. In the Municipe of Irituia (Northeast Para, Brasil), such a process was initiated to enhance knowledge sharing among farmers, researchers and students about forest restoration. A first version of a stylized yet empirically grounded model of 4 similar 25-ha family farms was first designed by a group of researchers. This tool, clearly unfinished, can be seen as a sketch to initiate the co-design process: an important work of progressive shaping and improvement is needed so that it acquires its final form and becomes usable with people who were not involved in its design. Handled as a role-playing game (the actions of the farmers are decided by the participants), the tool was first introduced to a group of farmers who were selected because of the experience in agroforestry systems. Eliciting their knowledge and formalizing their practices allowed us to propose archetypes of agro-forestry systems. The game was first tested by students from Itabocal, a rural school of Irituia Municipe. In the game, when deciding to start agro-forestry, a participant has to select a type of pre-defined agro-forestry system. The growth of the plants is simulated by the computer model and a set of indicators is provided to the players for them to assess the balance between environmental and socioeconomic benefits. The model was fine-tuned through a series of successive workshops. We describe how it enabled fostering knowledge sharing among students, farmers and researchers.

Delivery of environmental services in agricultural systems is a challenge particularly relevant in the Brazilian Amazon, characterized by the co-existence of production systems with different degrees of biodiversification and, consequently, with different levels of services delivery. However, little emphasis has been given to "service delivery" as a source of change, even though the concept of environmental services could be a tool to facilitate communication between local actors. In this context, this research aims to assess the roles of the concept of environmental service in multi-level consultation processes aimed at supporting the adoption of biodiversified production systems. To analyze whether these “services” could be an instrument for the different actors (institutional, technical, scientific and empirical) to explain and formalize their knowledge and expectations regarding the adoption of biodiversified production systems, data collection was based on 30 interviews focusing on the perception of each actor regarding the concepts of environmental services and biodiversification, in two different counties of the Brasilian Amazon, Paragominas and Irituia. My results shows that: (a) the concept of environmental service is not well known among stakeholders, but some “services” are often mentioned (without using the concept); (b) There is a set of common services perceived by the different stakeholders, among which stand out: i) Provisioning services: quality food; ii) Regulating services: soil fertility, regulation of water cycles and pest control; iii) Supporting services; pollination and biomass production. (c) Despite the low difference in the level of perception of environmental services between the two counties, Irituia stakeholders showed more interest in service delivery. We have concluded that common services perceived by different actors may suggest a toll to promote knowledge dialogue, but stakeholder involvement may vary according to local interests.

No âmbito do projeto Refloramaz, sobre recuperação florestal por agricultores familiares no Nordeste do Pará, iniciamos um processo de modelagem de acompanhamento com o objetivo de permitir uma troca de conhecimento entre agricultores, pesquisadores e estudantes e para formalizar a diversidade das práticas desenvolvidas em sistemas agroflorestais (SAF). O processo de co-construção foi iniciado com uma primeira versão de um modelo estilizado, mas empiricamente fundamentado na forma de um jogo de papéis. A ferramenta foi apresentada a um grupo de agricultores que trabalham com SAFs e a estudantes de uma escola rural do município de Irituia. Iniciaram-se os passos interativos de aperfeiçoamento do modelo, necessários para a ferramenta tornar-se utilizável com pessoas que não estavam envolvidas na sua concepção. No jogo, cada jogador decide a estratégia de ocupação do lote a partir de atividades agrícolas pré-definidas. Simultaneamente, emprega-se um modelo informatizado que permite simular o crescimento das plantas e calcular um conjunto de indicadores, paraavaliar o equilíbrio entre os benefícios ambientais e socioeconômicos. Além de construir propostas de arqutipos de SAFs, o jogo de papéis proporcionou uma reflexão sobre o papel dos SAFs no futuro da recuperação ambiental no município. Contudo, a partir deste método promoveram-se discussões acerca de estratégias de recuperação florestal em ambientes onde não é comumente tratado, proporcionando a circulação de conhecimento ecológico ou agroecológico.

While science has long been regarded as the sole driver for development, it is nowadays acknowledged that inclusion of stakeholders and different scientific perspectives is required to improve our understanding on socio-ecological systems (SESs). To integrate various perceptions and knowledge, there is a growing interest for Agent-Based Models (ABMs) as participatory tools for understanding SESs and their likely evolutions. Because they are centered on individuals, ABMs enable the user of a simulation to visualize his system in a tangible way. Consequently, he can project himself in the simulated word by assuming the role of an agent. Because he can also observe the system at the global level, he can better understand the consequences of decisions and actions. Some experiments using ABMs combine autonomous processes with agents' actions decided by the actors. Such “hybrid agent” simulations enable the stakeholders to interact with the model by modifying the behavior of the agents and the way they use the resources. Therefore, we can collectively explore scenarios to better understand how a desired situation may be reached. This may feed back into the collective design of the model. This talk will include two parts: (1) a brief overview of the ABMs and the pros and cons to use them with stakeholders as a participatory modeling approach and (2) an example of experiment with local communities in an Amazon floodplain in Brazil coping with global changes. A hands-on demonstration of this experiment will be available to the workshop participants to play with the model to better understand the advantages and the limits of such methodology. Beyond the technical and organizational considerations for designing and using such tools, we address the issue of power plays and of how to integrate in the process all the involved stakeholders while strengthening the capacities of the most vulnerable. (Texte integral)

Chapter 25; National audience

International audience; The programme to combat deforestation (PPCDAM) in the Brazilian Amazon , launched in 2004 and backed by commitments by the soya bean and beef sectors, has led to a considerable drop in the annual rate of deforestation. For territorial actors, it has been and continues to be a matter of conceiving, planning and implementing a rapid agrarian transition, based on a more efficient management of their various natural resources, of appropriating a limited physical space, and of creating the institutional capacities required to manage it sustainably.; En Amazonie Brésilienne, depuis 2009, l’initiative « Município Verde » (Commune Verte) est née d’un engagement d’acteurs publics et privés dans certaines communes, afin de d’éliminer la déforestation, cadastrer les propriétés agricoles, promouvoir la restauration ou le reboisement des sols dégradés et l’intensification agricole via l’adoption de bonnes pratiques, et mettre en place un programme municipal de gestion environnementale. Le município de Paragominas, à l’origine de cette initiative, est parvenu en 2 ans à remplir les deux premiers objectifs, mais l’initiative se heurte à plusieurs obstacles pour garantir une gestion durable de ses ressources naturelles dans un contexte « zéro déforestation ». Nous analysons dans cette contribution les avancées et les limites actuelles auxquelles seule une démarche territoriale peut répondre.

Contexte : Au vu des enjeux environnementaux globaux, l'Amazonie brésilienne attire depuis des décennies des chercheurs du monde entier. Depuis plus de30 ans, différents réseaux bilatéraux se sont structurés entre chercheurs européens et brésiliens, se spécialisant sur des thèmes spécifiques: hydrologie, géophysique, écologie (Barlow et al.), 2010, utilisation des sols (Gardner et al., 2013), politiques publiques (Duarte et al., 2010).Rares sont les échanges entre ces réseaux. Faisant l'hypothèse que les politiques publiques ont besoin d'une vision plus intégrative pour appuyer un développement durable des sociétés amazoniennes (Bursztyn et al., 2004), le projet Odyssea propose de construire un observatoire des dynamiques environnements-sociétés en Amazonie, pour capitaliser et croiser les nombreux résultats obtenus par ces réseaux. Le principal enjeu que le projet aborde est l'adaptation aux changements environnementaux (Malhi et al., 2008), avec l'objectif de réduire la vulnérabilité des populations locales. Les chercheurs sont conscients que l''intégration des données de différents domaines (hydrologie, qualité de l'eau, stock de carbone, usages des sols, santé, pauvreté, bien-être, etc), devra se faire à partir des demandes des décideurs politiques, des institutions de développement et des populations locales, pour proposer un observatoire qui soit adapté aux attentes et nécessités (Lemoisson et Passouant, 2012). Un processus de mobilisation est prévu, dans 5 sites (Santarem, Amapa, Nordeste du Pará, Amazonas et région de la BR-163), pour que les institutions locales et les chercheurs du projet puissent construire progressivement un ensemble d'indicateurs, adapté aux enjeux spécifiques de chacun des sites. Problématique et originalité: Alors que le projet débute, les chercheurs se confrontent à un "paradoxe": comment s'appuyer sur les nombreuses et riches données et informations déjà existantes (ou en cours de collecte) sans ces données et informations ne prédéterminent trop la direction que prendra l'observatoire? Comment faire fi des trajectoires scientifiques passées pour être attentifs aux demandes actuelles et potentiellement nouvelles qu'auront les acteurs localement? Comme le projet s'intéresse à l'adaptation aux changements environnementaux et souhaite initier une forte interaction avec les acteurs locaux, l'adoption d'une posture de recherche qui permette l'adaptabilité et l'exploration est fondamentale. Objectif: Au travers d'une grille d'évaluation des défis de l'observatoire Odyssea, la communication veut partager les réflexions de notre collectif d'une centaine de chercheurs pour configurer l'observatoire et pour renforcer le dialogue avec les acteurs locaux (décideurs politiques, institutions de développement, populations locales). Méthode: Le projet commençant, nous ne proposons pas une évaluation ex post, mais la construction a priori d'une grille de lecture commune des défis du projet permettra a posteriori d'évaluer le succès et les limites de notre initiative. Pour la construire, nous nous appuyons sur les débats qui ont eu lieu lors du lancement du projet, sur les finalités de l'observatoire Odyssea, sur les risques que nous devons appréhender, et sur la manière de favoriser plus d'adaptabilité. La méthode s'assimile aux exercices de prospectives territoriales (Jouvenel, 2009) ou de construction de scénarios (Nitsch, 2002; Van Asselt et al., 2002; Patel et al., 2007), où la question "du comment stimuler la créativité tout en restant réaliste" est centrale. (Texte intégral)

An increasing number of fires are threatening the benefits of avoided deforestation and the livelihoods of local populations in the Brazilian Amazon. Fires have a wide range of causes, but they are often related to the slash-and-burn practices upon which most smallholders strongly depend. Since the 1990's, different policies have been implemented to limit fire use in the region, but with limited success as they have framed fire negatively, leading to many taboos regarding fire use. The focus on fire-free agriculture, as an individual adoption, has led to disconsider fire control and the importance of cooperation for successful risk mitigation. Building on several studies we carried out these past years in Paragominas, a municipality which has promoted the " Green Municipality Program" and banned the use of fire, we discuss the motivations of family farmers regarding fire use and control. Through long term involvement and trust building, and by mobilizing inventive methodologies, such as theater-forum, Q-methodology, informal interviews, and games, we were able to discuss this taboo issue with the farmers. Our results bring refreshing points of view on fire use and control, not usually addressed in conventional literature. Farmers recognize fire control as a social dilemma and often ask for more state intervention, to encourage collective control. Such insights can serve as a basis for reformulating fire policies. Rather than fire prohibition, which is at odds with farmers' motivations and almost impossible to enforce, fire policies should consider mechanisms allowing to mitigate fire risk by empowering local control groups.

Hot-spots de biodiversité, les plaines d'inondation amazoniennes comptent parmi les écosystèmes les plus riches et productifs au monde. La vie des organismes et des sociétés humaines y est rythmée par les cycles d'inondation. Or, les changements hydrographiques perçus ces dernières années déstabilisent les systèmes de production traditionnels. Couplés à une augmentation démographique, ces changements modifient la qualité de leau et les peuplements des micro-organismes aquatiques ainsi que la production agricole, d'élevage et de pêche. Nos analyses montrent en outre une présence renforcée des cyanobactéries dans les communautés planctoniques. Les crues fortes et prolongées poussent les éleveurs à ouvrir plus de pâturages ce qui conduit à une dégradation du milieu. La démarche prospective participative, basée sur la modélisation, devrait conduire les acteurs à acquérir une meilleure compréhension des phénomènes en cours et proposer des alternatives et des règlementations plus durables.

Multi-level governance arrangements have played a key role in recent dramatic reductions in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, but why have they been more effective in some municipalities than others? In this study, we contribute to this understanding by analyzing the governance arrangements and the outcomes of environmental policy-making in six municipalities in the state of Pará in the Brazilian Amazon. We understand the municipal-level to be an essential scale for translating policy-making from higher levels to on-the-ground decision-makers. The six cases selected for this study include contiguous municipalities that had differing outcomes from responses to decentralization of anti-deforestation policies initiated in 2008. We employ satellite imagery analysis of deforestation dynamics at the property level between 2004 and 2014, and match these data with municipal policies carried out over the same time period, such as implementation of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR, from the Portuguese), realization of pacts between multiple stakeholders for stopping deforestation, and municipal organizational development for monitoring, verifying, and sanctioning illegal deforestation. We also map the different actors and organizations operating at multiple levels for promoting anti-deforestation policies in the selected municipalities in order to assess how their involvement affected municipal policies and capacities, and ultimately influence landowners' decision over their land use. By looking at how municipal policies differentially affect rural actors and how external actors and organizations influence municipal policies, we show the role played by municipal policies within multilevel governance arrangements and the conditions under which these arrangements are more likely to work.

Decentralized governance can facilitate the participation of non-government actors in natural resource management. Yet efforts to increase participation can also enhance the power of existing elites. Here, we analyse the role of landowning elites in developing and operating a hybrid governance arrangement in response to the decentralization of anti-deforestation policy in the Brazilian Amazon. We employ a framework that permits examination of the role played by different actors, the rationale that promoted collaboration in the first place, and the distribution of power that shapes the still evolving governance arrangement. By engaging state and non-state actors in a hybrid governance partnership, the local landowning elite in Paragominas, a municipality in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon, successfully achieved the specific goals set by federal policies to be removed from a high deforestation 'Red List'. Yet the local governors, together with the rural elite, transformed the crisis generated by inclusion in the Red List into an opportunity to shift the rural economy on a path towards more legalized large-scale agriculture. By aligning production and conservation objectives, the project attracted medium and large landowners, but also failed to prevent − or potentially exacerbated − the further marginalization of smallholders. Rural elites can effectively mobilize hybrid government arrangements in pursuit of their own interests while also producing wider benefits such as a more stimulated urban economy and strengthened environmental compliance. However, inclusion of more marginalized populations in this process remains a severe and largely unaddressed challenge. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

International audience

International audience

International audience

The Amazonian floodplain is among the most productive and diversified ecosystems in the world. The moving littoral enables a rapid nutrient recycling, explaining the large productivity and biodiversity of the system. Attracted by such favourable conditions for agricultural activities and fishing, populations have settled in the floodplains and developed complementary activities to cope with important variations in their environment, between the flood season and the dry season. However, in the past decades, the rhythm of these floodplains has changed, obliging the actors to deal with great uncertainty. Based on several years of hydrological and biogeochemical studies to understand the reasons of these environmental changes, the “life scientists” of our team invited the “social scientists” with the following question: Can the results about the dynamics of these floodplains help local populations better anticipate the future fluctuations of the river and adapt their activities to be less vulnerable to such change? To address this, we first chose to turn the perspective around: what were the preoccupations and strategies of local populations and what did they expect from scientists? The challenge was to enable the perceptions and knowledge of local populations to dialogue with scientific knowledge. Based on a Companion Modelling approach, we engaged a participatory process to collectively discuss the current situation and possible future scenarios. Using a role-playing game as an interface for this dialogue, we have progressively built a model to integrate both the knowledge of the local actors regarding their practices and possible environmental impacts and the knowledge of the scientists on environmental dynamics. This has obliged researchers to learn to work together and simplify their knowledge, and requires finding common points of interest with local populations, translating “biodiversity” into concrete issues that have a meaning for local actors. (Texte intégral)