Economics, Trade and Incentive Measures

 
Submission
ID 6511
Submitting Entity IUCN
Submitted for Sixth Ordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 6)
 
Main Information
Title Structural Adjustment, Market and Policy Failures: The Case of Maize
Description The authors analyse the effects of structural adjustment policies in agriculture on crop diversity by addressing the specific case of maize in Mexico. The Mexican government has introduced high yielding varieties (HYVs) of maize into the agricultural sector in an attempt to increase productivity. In terms of biodiversity impact, the result has been a shift from traditional varieties of maize to HYVs and consequently a loss of maize diversity. The main problem is that the benefits from crop diversity are not internalised in the market system and are therefore not taken into account by national policy-makers.
Web Link /doc/case-studies/inc/cs-inc-iucn-06-en.pdf
 
Additional Information
Authors George Oyer and Juan Carlos Belausteguigoitia
Source for IUCN (1996).
Countries Mexico
Ecosystems Agricultural Biodiversity
Regions Latin America and the Caribbean
Incentive Measures Reform of Perverse Incentives