摘要：CATIE and Nitlapan are currently implementing a project to evaluate the impact of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) on the adoption of silvopastoril systems (SPS) by cattle farmers in Matiguás, Nicaragua. The payment was estimated through a land use index developed by the project, and the farmers have been receiving the payment over the last four years. Studies have been conducted to assess the impact of PES on land use changes, and on its socio-economic and productive implications on different levels of poverty. The study reports on the perceptions of ‘poor’ and ‘non-poor’ farmers regarding PES, the way it operates, and its impact on the reduction of poverty. The results show that both ‘poor’ and ‘non-poor’ farmers are interested in continuing to produce under PES schemes, but both groups claim to lack capital for investing on the establishment of silvopastoral technologies. Therefore, it is necessary to develop policies that provide incentivesimprsuch as ‘green’ credit packages to promote land use changes. It was also concluded that PES is an important tool to promote sustainable land use systems in livestock farms for both ‘poor’ and ‘non-poor’ farmers. PES can also benefit ‘poor’ farmers because they improve socio-economic indicators in their farms, which increase family wellbeing.
