The “Demonization” of Rainforest Migrants, or: What Conservation Means to Poor Colonist Farmers

摘要: Poor peasants – particularly rainforest colonists, who were heralded as pioneers until quite recently are often blamed for the destruction of world’s remaining tropical forests. This chapter uses a political ecology approach to examine colonization in buffer zone Nicaragua’s Indio-Maiz Reserve and demonstrate that “demonization” peasant colonists is unjustified. It traces historical, cultural, economic dynamics migration pasture conversion examines land use practices recent context dominant conservation discourse competing peasant-oriented counter-discourse. attempts understand meanings themselves argues solutions will only be found when peasants’ viewpoints fully taken into account requiring integral, multiscale approaches.