Files
Abstract
This study analyses the relationships between rural poverty
and environmental degradation in Machadinho and Maximiliano de
Almeida, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A database was
formed based on 48 interviews with small farmers, including several
environmental and socioeconomic indicators. Non-linear regression
(Probit) models were estimated, with dummy variables as dependents,
expressing environmental degradation, and the socioeconomic indicators
as independent variables, expressing the rural poverty situations.
The main results point towards a refutation of the hypothesis that rural
poverty and environmental degradation are directly correlated, forming
a vicious circle.