Anthropocene: New Encounters, Old Patterns. A Few Comments on Payments for Ecosystem Services

Abstract

This paper focuses on one of the answers that have been given to the question: what type of change is to be pursued to limit human impact on the Earth while considering the needs of poor and disadvantaged communities? In particular it looks at a proposal that combines sustainable development approaches with market mechanisms and top-down technocratic responses: payments for Ecosystem Services frameworks. They have been criticized by many points of view and this paper questions, in particular, their very reliance on the market, questioning their appropriateness for the regulation of conservation activities and their interaction with local communities.