Our scenarios in both countries show that most landuse
alternatives generate higher net revenues per
hectare than the value of pollination services
assigned to the deforested area. Consequently, from
a private landowner’s point of view, there is a strong
incentive to convert forests into cropland. Even
payments for ecosystem services, if based on
pollination services alone, would hardly be
sufficient to reduce pressure on forest margins.
However, further ecosystem services provided by
the forest, such as biodiversity and soil
conservation, should be taken into account when
deciding for or against forest conservation.