Assessing the participation of local stakeholders in REDD+ relevant forest subsidies in Jalisco, Mexico

Abstract

Forestry subsidies are one of the multiple pathways to finance REDD+ at the national level. The legal and political scope of forestry subsidies can be understood from a governmental perspective and a social perspective by linking the legal provisions that indicate the reach of government institutions, the actors involved in designing rules, and the local actors who implement these rules. This research contributes to the discussion on the scope of forestry subsidies in the fulfillment of REDD+ objectives. The objectives of this study were to analyze the type, design and distribution of forest subsidies (2011‐2021) relevant to REDD+ in the Mexican state of Jalisco and to assess how the distribution of subsidies is perceived by local actors in the study area. The main findings suggest that the main actors receiving forestry subsidies were ejidos, followed by individuals and collective landowners such as civil associations of forest. And through the intervention of other actors, greater participation in forestry subsidies can be achieved.