This paper offers an analytical model for policy analysis. It aims at providing a comprehensive framework of instruments to assess whether and how a policy is leading towards sustainability in a broad, deep and transformational sense. It uses the theoretical principles of green political economy to develop analytical axes, namely social-ecological resilience, capabilities for human flourishing and strong sustainability. Furthermore, critical processes are articulated in order to search for additional sources of evidence for structural change. These are identified as addressing inequality, decoupling development from growth and relocalising the economy. This policy analysis framework is designed for policies that integrate environmental, social and economic dimensions, for example Integrated Conservation and Development Projects, REDD+ programs as well as other all-encompassing policies.
The role of informal contracts in the growth of small cattle herds on the floodplains of the Lower Amazon
In the absence of access to formal credit, informal contracts with independent investors give the small ranchers of the Lower Amazon an acceptable means through which to surmount the high investment hurdle of starting a cattle herd. These contracts – called...