Sullivan-Wiley Presents on Brazilian Reforestation Policy at University of Michigan Conference

Kira Sullivan-Wiley, a post-doctoral associate at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, presented a paper titled “Reforestation intervention participation: the importance of goal-orientation and mixed methods for reforesting the Brazilian Atlantic Forest” at the 2019 Sustainability and Development Conference hosted by the University of Michigan from October 11-14. 

In the paper, Sullivan-Wiley explores the challenge of achieving reforestation at scale in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, particularly because of the need for participation by private landholders. Based on data from eight focus groups and 50 interviews, the results show that high rates of reforestation will require both support to individual farmers and changes to cultural norms surrounding reforestation in the region. The study has implications for the design and implementation of incentive programs encouraging pro-environmental behaviors on private land.

The conference, hosted by the University of Michigan’s Sustainability and Development Initiative, brought together over 500 participants around 15 conference themes to catalyze interdisciplinary partnerships on sustainable development.

Read more about the conference.