STRATEGIES, INCENTIVES, AND DECISIONS: ILLICIT CROP CONTROL IN COLOMBIA

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Davalos Alvarez, E. (2017). STRATEGIES, INCENTIVES, AND DECISIONS: ILLICIT CROP CONTROL IN COLOMBIA. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

This dissertation examines three aspects of coca cultivation in Colombia. Fist, I evaluate how social investment in conjunction with eradication affects new coca crops. The results suggest that aerial spraying is effective in deterring farmers from increasing the size of their new coca fields, but this effect is small. Social investment, in addition to generating social welfare, has a significant negative relationship with new coca crops. Second, I analyze the motivations of coca growers by estimating a discrete choice model including head of household characteristics, household variables, and agricultural unit attributes. I find that poverty motivates farmers to grow coca crops. Specifically, extremely poor farmers are more likely to grow coca crops compared to non-poor farmers in the same area. Basic household and agricultural unit characteristics also influence farmer decisions to grow coca crops. Households connected to the energy grid, with access to credit, and receiving cash payments for their licit crops, are less likely to grow coca crops. Finally, I use georeferenced agricultural data to test the hypothesis that forced eradication generates spillover effects. Based on the results, there are strong negative spillover effects from aerial eradication, but spillover effects are positive and stronger for aerial eradication inside natural parks.

Details
Author

Davalos Alvarez, Eleonora

Title

STRATEGIES, INCENTIVES, AND DECISIONS: ILLICIT CROP CONTROL IN COLOMBIA

Physical Description

1 online resource (102 pages) : PDF

Date

2017

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

This dissertation examines three aspects of coca cultivation in Colombia. Fist, I evaluate how social investment in conjunction with eradication affects new coca crops. The results suggest that aerial spraying is effective in deterring farmers from increasing the size of their new coca fields, but this effect is small. Social investment, in addition to generating social welfare, has a significant negative relationship with new coca crops. Second, I analyze the motivations of coca growers by estimating a discrete choice model including head of household characteristics, household variables, and agricultural unit attributes. I find that poverty motivates farmers to grow coca crops. Specifically, extremely poor farmers are more likely to grow coca crops compared to non-poor farmers in the same area. Basic household and agricultural unit characteristics also influence farmer decisions to grow coca crops. Households connected to the energy grid, with access to credit, and receiving cash payments for their licit crops, are less likely to grow coca crops. Finally, I use georeferenced agricultural data to test the hypothesis that forced eradication generates spillover effects. Based on the results, there are strong negative spillover effects from aerial eradication, but spillover effects are positive and stronger for aerial eradication inside natural parks.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Government policy
Economics

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Coca Crops
Illicit Crops
Poverty
Smallholder
Social Investment
Spatial Dependence

Subject Area

Public Policy

Advisor(s)

Troyer, Jennifer

Committee Members

Billings, Stephen
Szmer, John
Moller, Stephanie

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2017.

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Rights Holder Information

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Identifier

DavalosAlvarez_uncc_0694D_11322

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:743