As dimensões do valor dos recursos ambientais : estudo de caso do valor da água na produção de soja

Abstract

The increased demand for natural resources resulted from the economic growth has created harmful environmental impacts. On this perspective, the environmental valuation has been a useful way to capture the natural resources’ values. However, valuation methods supported in the Neoclassic Environmental Economy focus only on the economic values of the natural resources. From the increased use of the natural resources, from the certainty that these resources are finite and that many of them are not replaceable according to the ideas of the Ecological Economy, we see the need to consider in the valuation process the goods and services provided by nature, due to its relation with the human well-being. So, the present study aimed to discuss the water value dimensions on the production of the rain fed soybean in Itumbiara/GO, based on the capacity of conventional methods of environmental economic valuation in captivating the rate of environmental assets based on the concepts of Ecological Economy and on the values that this current of thought relates to natural resources. The methodology used was the theoretical and conceptual literature review to analyze and compare data related to the production of soybean, to its yield and to the rainfall in Itumbiara/GO. The main result of this study is that water, acting as an input in the process of the rain fed soybean farming in Itumbiara, has not only economic value but also ecological and sociocultural value, that are deeply related to human well-being. Main conclusion shows that relying only on utility (Neoclassic Economy), which expresses the economic value of environmental resources, is not enough to capture the whole value of ecosystem goods and services that are provided to man. So, the incorporation of ecological and sociocultural dimensions is an essential task so that resources are fully valued and can express the benefits related to their own provision. Noticing that environmental impacts in soybean cultivation are reflected directly in the local community and, due to this, it must be compensated economically.