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ABSTRACT Researchers recognize that society needs accurate and comprehensive estimates of the economic value of rain forests to assess conservation and management options1,2,3,4,5,6,7.

Valuation of forests can help us to decide whether to implement policies that reconcile the value different groups attach to forests. Here we have measured the value of the rain forest to

local populations by monitoring the foods, construction and craft materials, and medicines consumed or sold from the forest by 32 Indian households in two villages in Honduras over 2.5

years. We have directly measured the detailed, comprehensive consumption patterns of rain forest products by an indigenous population and the value of that consumption in local markets8,9.

The combined value of consumption and sale of forest goods ranged from US$17.79 to US$23.72 per hectare per year, at the lower end of previous estimates (between US$49 and US$1,089 (mean

US$347) per hectare per year)4. Although outsiders value the rain forest for its high-use and non-use values10, local people receive a small share of the total value. Unless rural people are

paid for the non-local values of rain forests, they may be easily persuaded to deforest. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access

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Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS VALUATION OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES FROM FORESTS IN CHINESE

RURAL AREAS BASED ON FOREST RESOURCE INVESTMENT Article Open access 29 April 2025 FOREST REGROWTH IMPROVES PEOPLE’S DIETARY QUALITY IN NIGERIA Article Open access 06 October 2023

FSC-CERTIFIED FOREST MANAGEMENT BENEFITS LARGE MAMMALS COMPARED TO NON-FSC Article Open access 10 April 2024 REFERENCES * Panayotou, T. & Ashton, P. _Not by Timber Alone_ (Island,

Washington DC, 1993). Google Scholar  * Lampietti, J. A. & Dixon, J. A. To see the forest for the trees: a guide to non-timber forest benefits. Environment Department Paper No. 013 (The

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Dependence on Natural Ecosystems_. (Island, Washington DC, 1997). Google Scholar  * Godoy, R. _ Indians, Rain Forests, and Markets: Theory, Methods, and Analysis_ (Columbia Univ. Press, New

York, in the press). * McSweeney, K. The canoe in the tree. _Equinox_ 103, 78– 86 (1999). Google Scholar  * Godoy, R. _et al._ Household determinants of neotropical deforestation by

Amerindians in Honduras. _World Dev._ 25, 977– 987 (1997). Article  Google Scholar  * Godoy, R. & Wong, G. Does economic development increase vulnerability? A test of consumption

smoothing among the Tawahka Indians of the Honduran rain forest. _J. Dev. Econ._ (submitted). Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The programs of Cultural Anthropology and Human Dimensions

of Global Change of the National Science Foundation (USA), the Conservation, Food & Health Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council (USA) financed this research. We thank K.

Bawa, M. Boscolo, J. Dixon, J. Harvey and D. Pimentel for comments on the manuscript. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Anthropology, Brandeis University, Waltham,

02254, Massachusetts, USA Ricardo Godoy * Associates in Forest Research and Development, 18 Clark Lane, Waltham, 02154, Massachusetts, USA David Wilkie * Honduras Coral Reef Fund, Apartado

Postal 1053, La Ceiba, Atlántida, Honduras Adoni Cubas * Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Apartado 3394, Miraflores Blvd, Tegucigalpa, M.D.C., Honduras Glenda Cubas * Amsterdam Research

Institute for Global Issues and Development Studies, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1018 VZ, The Netherlands Han Overman & Josefien Demmer * Department of Geography, McGill

University, Montreal, H3A 2K6, Quebec, Canada Kendra McSweeney * Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Box 1770, Manomet, 02345, Massachusetts, USA Nicholas Brokaw Authors * Ricardo

Godoy View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * David Wilkie View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

* Han Overman View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Adoni Cubas View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google

Scholar * Glenda Cubas View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Josefien Demmer View author publications You can also search for this author

inPubMed Google Scholar * Kendra McSweeney View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Nicholas Brokaw View author publications You can also search

for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Ricardo Godoy. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Godoy, R.,

Wilkie, D., Overman, H. _et al._ Valuation of consumption and sale of forest goods from a Central American rain forest. _Nature_ 406, 62–63 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35017647 Download

citation * Received: 15 November 1999 * Accepted: 02 May 2000 * Issue Date: 06 July 2000 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35017647 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with

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