Spatial analysis of the relationship between oil palm cultivation and forced displacement in Colombia

This article examines the existence of a possible correlation between oil palm plantations and forced displacement in Colombia. The analysis is carried out using spatial econometrics, as we identified autocorrelation and clusters in the variables between municipal geographic units. We employed Geographically Weighted Regression techniques to estimate municipal equations that incorporate the behavior of the variables in the neighboring units. We found a direct relationship between African palm cultivation and displacement in areas where the crop had been promoted during the last decade. The research has not yet evaluated the causal relationship between the variables, as this would require new data and methodological adjustments.