Income formation among Amazonian peasant households in northeastern Peru: Empirical observations and implications for market-oriented conservation

This paper reports on a study of the role of peasant agriculture and forest product extraction activities in income formation among a large sample of ribereno households in northeastern Pent. Market income levels were found to be generally low, and rather unevenly distributed across households; income often was derived from a small number of diverse products; and received income represented a small fraction of the potential value of marketable products in the forest. The methods and analytical approach employed represent an exemplar for livelihood studies of forest-reliant peasants. The results point to new directions for research in support of more effective market-oriented conservation of Amazonian rain forests.