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Declining fertility on the frontier: the Ecuadorian Amazon
David L Carr1, William K Y Pan, Richard E Bilsborrow
1Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
Population and Environment
|August 7, 2009
Summary
Fertility rapidly declined in the Ecuadorian Amazon, with factors like land titles and electricity access linked to fewer births. This rapid fertility transition impacts forest and rural development.
Area of Science:
- Demography
- Environmental Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- The Amazon basin represents a critical frontier for the global fertility transition.
- Rapid fertility changes in agricultural frontiers have significant implications for forest ecosystems, rural development, and urbanization.
- Previous research indicated persistently high fertility among migrant colonists in this region until 1990.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate farm and household characteristics associated with a swift fertility decline in the Ecuadorian Amazon's forest frontier.
- To analyze the relationship between socio-economic factors, land tenure, and fertility changes in a longitudinal study.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a probability sample of 172 women surveyed in 1990 and 1999.
- Conducted a region-wide longitudinal fertility survey, likely the first of its kind in an agricultural frontier.
- Employed statistical analyses controlling for women's age to examine fertility determinants.
Main Results:
- Fertility has significantly decreased, with only half of the women reporting births between 1990-1999.
- Women with legal land titles had less than half the number of children compared to those without.
- Factors associated with lower fertility include large cattle holdings, hiring labor, asset accumulation, electricity access, and out-migration; distance to community centers was positively related to fertility.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a dramatic fertility decline in the Ecuadorian Amazon, contrary to previous trends.
- Land tenure security, socio-economic status, and access to services are key drivers of this demographic shift.
- Understanding these fertility dynamics is crucial for predicting future environmental and developmental trajectories in frontier regions.
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