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An economic justification for rural afforestation: The case of Ethiopia

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Abstract

It has proven difficult to quantify the economic benefits of large-scale rural afforestation and to establish the priority for public sector investment in traditional rural energy supply vis-a-vis investment in the supply of modern fuels (electricity, petroleum) to the urban industrial market. This paper outlines, in simple terms, the biological links between deforestation and agricultural production at the subsistence level and quantifies the economic benefits of increased food production obtained by replacing animal dung as a fuel with firewood from rural forestry programs.

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Newcombe, K. An economic justification for rural afforestation: The case of Ethiopia. Ann Reg Sci 21, 80–99 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01287284

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