Escobal, J., Agreda, V. y Aldana, U. (2000). Derechos de propiedad, regulación de concesiones y uso óptimo de los recursos naturales: criterios para regular a los extractos de castaña en la provincia de Tambopata, en la selva de Perú. En J. Berdegué y G. Escobar (Eds.), Seguimiento y evaluación del manejo de recursos naturales (pp. 41-79). Santiago: Fundación de Comunicaciones del Agro.

The objective of this work is to evaluate the use of natural resources by Brazil nut extractors in the Peruvian rainforest, as well as to assess the impact of the concession policy established by the competent public authority on the management of these resources.

The study provides criteria to define the concession contracts that the Peruvian State establishes to allow the exploitation of Brazil nut forests. It shows that a concession contract that guarantees real property rights and establishes regulatory mechanisms can guarantee a substantive improvement in the income of the rural population dedicated to chestnut forest exploitation while achieving a more rational and sustainable exploitation of the forest.

However, the study also indicates that this solution alone does not constitute an integral alternative that would allow chestnut farmers to have an adequate income, consistent with sustainable forest management. The fact that the part of the income that is less sustainable or unsustainable (hunting, fishing, logging, agriculture and livestock) has been found to be substitutes and not complementary to sustainable income opens a window of opportunity for income diversification as part of the strategy to achieve sustainable management of the chestnut forest.