The deforestation and the tragedy of the commons between VRAE coca farmers: 2001 – 2004

Forests at the tropical Valley of the Apurimac and Ene rivers (VRAE), the second coca-growing region of Peru, are public common resources and nevertheless privately managed mainly by coca farmers, without effective State control of such use. The need for survival of the coca farmers, their chrematistic perception of the forest, the cultivation of cocoa (theobroma cacao) and land availability are crucial factors influencing the rates of deforestation of primary and secondary forest. Variables such as the legality of land tenure seem to have no influence. However, other institutional factors such as state policies in titling processes and its weakness or absence facilitate the destructive patterns of settlement in the upper forest. Grassroots organizations of farmers focused on defending coca cultivation and access to credit and technical conditions for their legal products do not consider the defense of the forest as a fundamental aspect of their agenda. Nor were grassroots organizations whose core agenda was the control and monitoring of the management of forest resources. All this leads to argue that the Amazonian farmers are trapped in the "prisoner's dilemma". On the one hand, institutional and media pressure press them strongly not to grow coca and on the other hand, if they do not grow coca o clear the forest, others will follow this destructive path and benefit immediately of such a decision