Showing papers in "International Forestry Review in 2011"

Empty forests, empty stomachs? Bushmeat and livelihoods in the Congo and Amazon Basins

Abstract: SUMMARY Protein from forest wildlife is crucial to rural food security and livelihoods across the tropics The harvest of animals such as tapir, duikers, deer, pigs, peccaries, primates and larger rodents, birds and reptiles provides benefits to local people worth millions of US$ annually and represents around 6 million tonnes of animals extracted yearly Vulnerability to hunting varies, with some species sustaining populations in heavily hunted secondary habitats, while others require intact forests with minimal harvesting to maintain healthy populations Some species or groups have been characterized as ecosystem engineers and ecological keystone species They affect plant distribution and structure ecosystems, through seed dispersal and predation, grazing, browsing, rooting and other mechanisms Global attention has been drawn to their loss through debates regarding bushmeat, the “empty forest” syndrome and their ecological importance However, information on the harvest remains fragmentary, along with understanding of ecological, socioeconomic and cultural dimensions Here we assess the consequences, both for ecosystems and local livelihoods, of the loss of these species in the Amazon and Congo basins

Is adaptation to climate change gender neutral? Lessons from communities dependent on livestock and forests in northern Mali

Abstract: SUMMARY The growing risk of vulnerability to climate change is widely discussed in the scientific and political sphere. More evidence from local case studies emerges that document this risk. Vulnerability to climate change and variability appears most likely to negatively affect poor people, particularly women. Tendencies to widen existing inequalities have been observed. In the Lake Faguibine area in Northern Mali the social, political and ecological conditions have drastically changed in the last three decades. We conducted 6 single gender participatory workshops using PRA in two communities. The workshops assessed vulnerability and adaptive strategies to climate variability and change for livestock and forest based livelihoods. Our results show divergences in the adaptive strategies of men and women. Migration represented one of the most important strategies for men. Women perceived this strategy more as a cause of vulnerability than an adaptive strategy. Traditionally male activities have been added to the workload of women (e.g. small ruminant herding). The historical axes show that development projects targeting women have not integrated climate change and variability into their planning. Most activities have been built around small scale agriculture. With the drying out of Lake Faguibine, those water dependent activities are no longer relevant. Women have developed their own adaptive strategies based on newly emerged forest resources in the former lake area (e.g. charcoal production). However, women are hindered from realizing the potential of these new activities. This is due to loss of person power in the household, unclear access to natural resources, lack of knowledge and financial resources. Lack of power to influence decision at the household and community levels as well as limited market opportunities for women are additional factors. Even though women’s vulnerability is increasing in the short term, over the long term the emerg

Opportunities for Enhancing Poor Women's Socioeconomic Empowerment in the Value Chains of Three African Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)

Abstract: SUMMARY The value chains of three internationally important dry forest NTFPs, namely gum arabic, gum olibanum (frankincense) and honey from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Zambia respectively, were assessed in terms of the roles played by women and the benefits they obtain from their involvement. Women perform a variety of functions at different stages in the value chains, but their roles tend to be poorly visible and inadequately acknowledged, largely because they are either operating in the informal sector, are part-time employees, or carry out their activities at home between family responsibilities. Where women’s roles are more prominent, this is primarily due to gender orientated interventions by external agencies. Several constraints to fostering women’s empowerment were identified, with some easier to overcome than others. Particularly difficult to address are gender based, social-cultural barriers. Suggestions for enhancing women’s benefits include: greater recognition of informal markets, the opportunities and constraints associated with them, and their position relative to export markets; improved support for collective action where this can provide women with greater voice, negotiating power, and help with economies of scale; more targeted training that addresses areas identified by women as useful and important to them; time-saving technologies and support systems such as child care; and creating greater gender awareness amongst stakeholders.

Food Security: Why is Biodiversity Important?

Abstract: Agriculture and biodiversity have often been regarded as separate concerns. Although biodiversity underpins much of modern agriculture, the development of contemporary production systems has resulted in extensive land conversion and concomitant biodiversity loss. In order to feed an ever growing population, innovative and acceptable ways of integrating biodiversity conservation and food production need to be identified. Maintaining diversity within agricultural systems is not a novel approach but one practiced by many smallholder farmers globally, in many different ways. The nutritional and livelihood benefits of diverse production systems are one way of achieving food security. Such systems are also more resilient to climate induced events or other shocks. Forests represent an important repository of food and other resources that can play a key role in contributing towards food security, especially if integrated into complex systems that are managed for multiple benefits.

Improving Livelihoods and Nutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa through the Promotion of Indigenous and Exotic Fruit Production in Smallholders' Agroforestry Systems: A Review

Abstract: †SUMMARY The cultivation of indigenous and exotic fruits for sub-Saharan Africa’s domestic markets can bring increased revenues for smallholders and improve the diets of local consumers. There are, however, many bottlenecks which need to be addressed so that wider benefits from such activities are realised. Here, we describe key interventions being taken to address current constraints. For indigenous fruit trees, it is necessary to set priorities for which species to promote and to engage in participatory domestication for the improvement of yield, quality and germplasm delivery to farmers. For exotic fruits, ‘south-south’ transfer of advanced cultivars and the development of small-scale commercial suppliers of planting material are required to reinvigorate production. For both indigenous and exotic species, a focus on improving market value chains to bring greater benefits to producers is needed. We describe where further work is required to increase efficiency in the sector and to favour smallholder involvement.

EDITORIAL: Forests, biodiversity and food security

Abstract: Forests are a considerable source of biodiversity and, as such, are inextricably linked to people's food security, nutrition and health in a number of fundamental ways. While previous work has examined the links between forests and human health, much of the focus has been on the contributions of forest biodiversity to plant based pharmacopoeias, the correlations between forests and disease and more recently between forests and physiological well-being (Anyonge et al. this special issue contains a set of papers that explore these linkages and their implications. The contributions range in perspective from global overviews of the role of forest biodiversity in agriculture and food security, the health impacts of forest use on women, to regional comparisons analyzing bush meat consumption and trade in Amazonia and the Congo, and the effects of sedentarisation on nomadic tribes in Borneo and West Africa. Two case studies offer detailed examination of the causes and consequences of changing patterns of forest use within Tanzania and Cameroon. Furthermore, payment for environmental services (PES) is examined as one potential tool to promote conservation while improving livelihoods in Chinantla, Mexico. Forests in the broader food security framework The most widely used definition of food security states that: \" Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Household food security is the application of this concept to the family level, with individuals as the focus of concern \" (FAO 2003). Broader than other definitions, which often place heavy emphasis on calories with little attention to other components of food essential to health, this definition emphasises that access to food is as important as food availability. Food security is therefore often linked to the ability to purchase as well as produce food, and to avoid or offset both chronic (long term and persistent), cyclical and transitory food insecurity (where a particular shock leads to food shortage or sudden rise in prices) (see Sunderland this issue). Food-insecure households may live where there is enough food, but they lack income or 'entitlements' (production, trade, labour or transfer-based) to get it. Food-insecure people may live in food-secure households, due to household preferences or gender or age discrimination (Pinstrup-Andersen 2009). The FAO definition also emphasises that food security includes nutrition security; access to food which ensures adequate …

Gender Analysis in Forestry Research: Looking Back and Thinking Ahead

Abstract: SUMMARY This review charts out recent developments in gender research in forestry research, with a focus on tropical and dry forests in developing countries. We reviewed 121 publications extracted from the Web of Knowledge database and publications by the Center for International Forestry Research for the past 10 years. Over the past decade (2000–2011) gender-focused forestry research has been dominated by studies that evaluate men's and women's participation in community forestry initiatives and the commercialisation of forest products and market access. Community forestry studies were mainly conducted in South Asia and market access studies in Africa. The geographical spread of studies is uneven, with most studies in India and Nepal. We suggest that the observed patterns relate to recent devolution reforms of forest management, which have a longer tradition in South Asia. The patterns also relate to the focus on poverty reduction efforts that gained widespread prominence in the 1990s. Integrating gender...

Gender, climate change and REDD+ in the Congo Basin forests of Central Africa

Abstract: SUMMARY The Congo Basin region of Central Africa contains the second largest contiguous tropical rainforest in the world, which is an important source of livelihood for millions of people. It is also important for climate change adaptation, as well as mitigation policies on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). Men and women relate to and use the forest differently and so may experience the effects of climate change and REDD+ policies differently. Investigations through semi-structured interviews and document reviews in three countries of the region revealed that women have had limited participation in discussions on issues of climate change or REDD+. There is some evidence that gender consideration will become part of future national REDD+ strategies. Strategies to foster the effective participation of all stakeholders are essential to ensure that gender dimensions are addressed in issues of climate change, forest access, forest management and distribution of carbon benefits.

Forest Cover, Use and Dietary Intake in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

Abstract: SUMMARY Food insecurity and malnutrition in local populations both result from and drive deforestation. This paper examines the relationships between diet of local people and measures of forest cover and use in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Data on dietary diversity and intake were collected for 270 children and their mothers. Area of tree cover within the vicinity of each household was examined in relation to forest use and diet. Individuals using foods from forest and other non-farm land had higher dietary diversity, consumed more animal source foods and had more nutrient dense diets. They also had more tree cover in a close proximity to the home, suggesting a relationship between tree cover and forest food use. Households reporting trips to the forest had lower area of tree cover within close proximity, suggesting that land close to the home with tree cover such as agroforest and fallow is important for obtaining subsistence products. Although historically there has been little motivation for local people to participate in forest conservation in the East Usambaras, the maintenance of tree cover in the landscape around the home, especially on agricultural and village land, may be important in ensuring continued access to the health benefits potentially available in wild and forest foods.

When formal and market-based conservation mechanisms disrupt food sovereignty: Impacts of community conservation and payments for environmental services on an indigenous community of Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract: SUMMARY The impacts of Payments for Environmental Services (PES) and creation of formal Voluntary Conserved Areas (VCAs) on local diets, agricultural practices, subsistence hunting and livelihoods, were assessed in a Chinantec community of southern Mexico. The community has set aside VCAs covering 4 300 ha of its 5 928 ha of communal lands and forests, and has received over S769 245 in PES for protection of 2 822 ha of watersheds roughly overlapping the VCAs. Community members attribute decreased maize and other subsistence crop yields, reduction of area available for agriculture, and shortened fallow cycles to the new conservation policies. Meat consumption has decreased after a hunting ban, accompanied by increases in purchasing meat still consumed. By agreeing to conservation measures that restrict their use of ancestral agricultural land and prohibit hunting, villagers have seen local food security become less stable, leading to greater dependency on external food supplies. Continued strict preservati...

Hot Spots of Confusion: Contested Policies and Competing Carbon Claims in the Peatlands of Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract: SUMMARY In the peatlands of Central Kalimantan, expectations of payments for reducing carbon emissions shape the discourse over natural resource management as a means of influencing policy and exercising power. Different types of actors have their own choice of argument and interpretation of facts, rules and norms over resource use or conservation. This article examines the discursive strategies used by contestants in the struggle over property rights in a failed development project (‘ex-Mega Rice Area’) in Central Kalimantan and traces their changes and developments in the justification for policy influence in the face of REDD++ implementation. Shifting national policy priorities have affected the distribution of power that shapes the practice and use of forest peatland. The case study highlights the historical baggage of perceived injustice between state and local communities and the contest between national and provincial government authorities that complicates the debate on current efforts to mitigate...

Impacts of community forests on livelihoods in Cameroon: Lessons from two case studies

Abstract: Community forestry is considered a tool for decentralisation and devolution and as efficient strategy to achieve the multiple goals of sustainable resource management and poverty alleviation. However, evidence worldwide has shown mixed results. A financial, economic and environmental cost-benefit analysis of two community forests in Cameroon revealed that community forests are economically and environmentally profitable, and benefit communities more, compared to a baseline situation. Sharp differences between the economic and financial returns highlight the importance of conditional factors. These include the communities' technical and managerial skills, access to finance, legal resources and market information, and the communities' capacity for vertical integration. The cases highlight the limitations of the current regulatory and policy framework as a determining influence on the exploitation of community forests and conclude there is a pressing need for institutional and organizational reforms within the governmental and support apparatus to increase the profitability and equity of community forestry.

Is Gender an Important Factor Influencing User Groups' Property Rights and Forestry Governance? Empirical Analysis from East Africa and Latin America

Abstract: This article explores the effects that gender composition of forest user groups has on property rights and forestry governance, based on data from 290 forest user groups in Kenya, Uganda, Bolivia, and Mexico. Findings indicate gender composition of user groups is important, but not always in the expected ways. Female-dominated groups tend to have more property rights to trees and bushes, and collect more fuelwood but less timber than do male-dominated or gender-balanced groups. Gender-balanced groups participate more in forestry decision-making and are more likely to have exclusive use of forests. Female-dominated groups participate less, sanction less and exclude less. Although policy makers and practitioners are advised to seek interventions that strengthen women's groups by delivering information, technologies and capacity-building programs in formats that take into account women's constraints, it is also important to gain better understanding of the dynamics of mixed-gender groups, including the nature and types of cooperation among males and females.

Forests, Women and Health: Opportunities and Challenges for Conservation

Abstract: Health issues of forest women in developing countries merit more serious attention. This paper reviews existing literature on the interface of women, health and forests to highlight conservation opportunities and challenges. Most women in forests are collectors and users of forest species. However, existing conservation efforts, deforestation, poor health services and household responsibilities can intensify health and safety concerns for forest dependent women. Women are likely to bear the strenuous burden of carrying fuelwood (and other forest products) long distances and inhaling smoke while cooking. The burden of unintended childbearing, diseases and cultural issues can compound their health problems. To improve local livelihoods and environments, some organisations have initiated activities that integrate conservation and human health objectives, including family planning. This article provides project examples, where the involvement of women has been identified as a key component in effectively meeting both conservation and development goals.

From foraging to farming among present-day forest hunter-gatherers: consequences on diet and health

Abstract: SUMMARY Throughout history, forests dwellers have adapted to permanent changes of forest ecosystems that, in essence, are dynamic. Accordingly, they have long served as models of how humans lived when their lifestyles and genetic endowment were complementary. What is now commonly described as the “paleodiet” tends to be put forward as a benchmark for present-day efforts to promote health and prevent nutritional diseases, even in industrialized countries. Although forest ecosystems provide food and medicines to forest dwellers, over the last half-century these ecosystems have undergone unprecedented pressure to make way for economic growth and industrialization, often at the cost of ecological functions that may affect human health, both in short term (i.e. increase in infectious diseases) and long term (incidence of global change). As radical alterations occur such as deforestation, modification of resource availability, and the penetration of cash economies, forest dwellers encounter increasing difficult...

Conceptual Approaches to Integrate Nature Conservation into Forest Management: A Central European Perspective

Abstract: SUMMARY There are two main approaches to nature conservation in forest management. In the segregation approach, nature conservation is one of the management objectives which is limited to protected forest areas, while the integration approach considers the economic, social, and ecological components of sustainable forest management at the same time and place. Nature-based (close-to-nature) silviculture and forest planning that conserve natural stand dynamics, respect the local site conditions, monitor forest ecosystems and their conservation status, and harmonise suitable measures addressed to management objectives and nature conservation standards are crucial for integrating nature conservation into forest management. The social, economic, and bio-geographical conditions of forests vary greatly; therefore, concepts of integrating nature conservation into forest management cannot be uniform. On a global scale, the segregation model is generally accepted as the most suitable approach, but the integration m...

Forest tenure reform: Exclusion of tribal women’s rights in semi-arid Rajasthan, India

Abstract: The current trend in forest tenure reform promotes identity-based categories, such as indigenous people, on the assumption that this provides better access to forest resources for marginalized groups. India's historic Forest Rights Act of 2006 recognizes the traditional rights of the scheduled tribes and other forest-dependent people dwelling in and around forestlands. This paper examines the politics of individual and collective access to forestland and the political representation of Bhil tribal women in the semi-arid Banswara district, Rajasthan, India. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 54 informants, and two focus group discussions. A rights-based access approach was used to analyse outcomes of forest tenure reform on tribal women's access to forestland, and inclusion in, and/or exclusion from, collective decision making about forestland management. The findings indicate that the new identity-based forest tenure reform is mere tokenism and hinders rather than promotes tribal women's political empowerment and access to forest-based resources.

Supply of woody biomass, especially in the tropics: is demand outstripping sustainable supply?

Abstract: SUMMARY Five reputable international bodies have recently asserted that the use of ‘traditional’ woody biomass energy is not sustainable and they propose steps to substitute alternative non-polluting fuels/devices. No evidence for this assertion was presented. The production of terrestrial net primary production was examined: this indicated that there was a large surplus of biomass to meet demands. The growth and yield of aboveground woody biomass by country and region was calculated using conservative estimates of supply based on FAO's published data. This was then compared to generous estimates of demand. It was found that in every region of the world, especially in developing countries, there is a considerable surplus compared to demand. Rather than curtailing the use of biomass energy it should be expanded, principally through the efforts of the rural poor as an input to foster sustainable development and assist poverty alleviation.

The interweave of people and place: biocultural diversity in migrant and indigenous livelihoods around Mount Cameroon

Abstract: SUMMARY In order to further understanding of the links between biological and cultural diversity, this study examined the role of forest species and biodiversity in the livelihoods of indigenous Bakweri villagers and migrants to the Mount Cameroon region. Surveys of resources consumed and sold by 118 households were undertaken in five villages over the course of one year. The contributions of different habitats and management systems (compounds, farms, fallow, forest) and species (native and introduced; cultivated and wild-harvested) to local livelihoods were evaluated. The study showed that indigenous households depend to a much greater extent upon a range of habitats and species than migrant households, particularly for subsistence. Indigenous resource management systems grow from historical relationships between people and place, and promote resilience, well-being and adaptation in an area long characterized by environmental, social, political, and economic uncertainty. The managed landscapes of indigenous villages can contribute to broader conservation efforts in the region, including those associated with the newly established Mount Cameroon National Park.

Falling back on forests: how forest-dwelling people cope with catastrophe in a changing landscape

Abstract: SUMMARY How do tropical forest people cope with natural disasters? We worked with four communities in East Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia, before and after a catastrophic flood. We interviewed 42 of 102 heads of households affected by the floods. All 42 households suffered some major loss of property — crops, lands, houses, and/or livestock. Each household adopted one or more coping strategies: increasing their reliance on forest resources; seeking paid employment; relocating their houses; and finding temporary land to establish their crops in upland areas. Immediate reliance on the forest was greatest for those most heavily impacted, the poorest, the least well educated, and those with the easiest access. Overall, those with the fewest resources and alternatives made most use of the forest. But access to such forest benefits is becoming increasingly difficult. The often crucial value of forests to local forest-dwellers needs to be better recognized in the context of current developments. These forest der...

Study of gender equality in community based forest certification programmes in Nepal

Abstract: SUMMARY Gender equality has been studied in community based forest certification projects in two forest user groups in Nepal. contributing to an understanding of gender equality with a focus on participation of women in a forest certification project and on awareness levels of forest users. Experts from the project and local people were interviewed. Committee meetings were conducted and household interviews were also carried out. The results include information on the background and lives of respondents as well as the effects of forest certification on their lives today; on age, caste and occupation; attitudes of men and women regarding forestry and their opinions on conditions before and after forest certification; non-timber forest products (NTFP), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification processes in Nepalese forests; forest committee meetings. This paper summarizes selected findings from George (2010); results and suggestions may serve to improve plights of forest users in Nepal.

Gender Equity in Senegal's Forest Governance History: Why Policy and Representation Matter

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper highlights the ways that gender analysis has been ignored in the development of forestry and land policy in Senegal. The development of local governance/ rural councils through history and their increased decision-making power that occurred with the 1996 decentralization/ regionalization did not take into account the ways that women’s representation (or lack of) on these councils would affect women’s ability to access needed resources. This gender policy analysis paper is guided by two main questions: do the main decentralization reforms, which aim for the principles of equity, accountability, ownership and local participation, promote gender equity and tenure rights in access to land and forest resources? How are the forest and land laws and policies gendered and right-based? I argue that, the lack of adequate gender analysis, consideration of local communities’ rights, and of accountability mechanisms in forest and land policy reforms is due to the low participation and representation of women in political institutions such as political parties, in legislature, and in local governments and to the fact that the forest sector is not gender sensitive. These traditionally male dominated national and local government institutions are the main causes of inequity and exclusion of marginalized groups mainly women in land and forest governance both at the policy and practical level. As long as forest and land policies remain ungendered and do not have a rights-based approach, women will always be legally and socially marginalized from decision making and benefits from forest and land resources. Before advocating for gender equity and women’s rights and tenure in practice, it is necessary and a pre-requisite to have clearly defined gendered national forest and land laws and policies, effective participation and representation of women in political institutions, and gendered accountability mechanisms to hold political leaders, government and local government officials accountable if they fail in practice to recognize women’s ownership rights to land and forest resources.

Towards Cost-Effective Social Impact Assessment of REDD+ Projects: Meeting the Challenge of Multiple Benefit Standards

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper describes some of the challenges of meeting standards for multiple benefit forest carbon and other land use based carbon projects. There is considerable current controversy about the social and equity impacts of such projects. The authors argue that a combination of more robust standards, such as the Climate Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standards, for assessing the social performance of projects, and cost-effective impact assessment methods can do much to ensure positive outcomes for local people or communities, and greatly reduce the risk of negative ones. The paper is structured around the following main themes: what is meant by social impact assessment (SIA); a discussion of the requirements of the CCB Standards as regards SIA; key challenges to measuring the social impacts of land use based carbon projects; presentation of seven proposed SIA stages contained in a Manual for SIA released by four prominent non-governmental organisations; and some ‘good practice’ principles for cos...

Is China Unique? Exploring the Behaviour of Chinese and European Firms in the Cameroonian Logging Sector

Abstract: SUMMARY China’s growing presence in Africa’s extractive industries has been the subject of much debate in recent years, reflecting concerns about both environmental sustainability and the governance of resource wealth for long-term benefit. In Cameroon, since 2000 the largest timber concession in the country has been held by a Chinese company. This provides an opportunity to take a deeper look at corporate practices in the extractive industry and explore the extent to which corporate behaviour varies between Chinese and non-Chinese companies. Through a general analysis of Cameroonian timber production and trade, and a detailed analysis of two European companies (one FSC-certified) and one Chinese company (without FSC certification), this paper assesses the effects of Chinese capital and China-related trade on rural livelihoods and forest condition in the Cameroonian forestry sector. Our findings suggest that while the Chinese market shapes the trade patterns and management activities of logging companies, it does so irrespective of the companies’ nationality. Also, findings suggest that nationality of firms has a weak influence on the impacts on local livelihoods around the sampled logging concessions in Cameroon.

A diagnosis of existing logging bans in Bangladesh

Abstract: SUMMARY Imposing logging ban has become widespread in the tropics. Bangladesh government enforced logging bans in 1970s and 1980s to halt deforestation. Such bans have been considered as a strategy to protect and conserve forests although success requires rigorous analysis. In this paper, the performances of the existing logging bans in Bangladesh are examined to assess their effectiveness. Responses of forest management systems, policies, production and governance in attaining the objectives of logging bans are thoroughly addressed and investigated. From this study it is evident that unwise implementations of logging bans have failed to secure forest conservation and production related objectives of the government. Based on the findings, five future directives are advised: (I) continuation of bans in critical natural forests, (II) reinitiating of management practices in the plantations, (III) introducing multipurpose forestry in the protected area co-management systems, (IV) adoption of adaptive communit...

Reliable Forest Carbon Monitoring — Systematic Reviews as a Tool for Validating the Knowledge Base

Abstract: SUMMARY With global carbon credits valued at over US$100 billion/year, accounting under REDD will drive demand for high quality forest monitoring systems. The choice of system to adopt should be guided by good science. The adequacy and comparability of different national systems for forest carbon measurement under REDD have not been fully evaluated. There is a growing body of scientific and technical information on ground-based and remote-sensing methods of carbon measurement. This extensive, often conflicting, knowledge base has not been systematically reviewed in the transparent, readily-repeatable manner consistent with evidence-based practice. This paper argues that such an approach, regarded in medicine as the gold standard for evidence evaluation, is long overdue in forestry generally and carbon monitoring and assessment specifically. Preliminary findings from an international project set up to scope the potential for a systematic review approach indicate that this evidence-based approach would add ...

Scenario-Based Actions to Upgrade Small-Scale Furniture Producers and their Impacts on Women in Central Java, Indonesia

Abstract: SUMMARY Indonesian furniture accounts for almost 1% of the global furniture trade, valued at more than USD 135 billion. In many countries, including Japan, European countries and Indonesia, women make decisions about selecting which furniture to buy. In Central Java's Jepara District — the centre of teak furniture production in Indonesia — annual furniture exports are valued at USD 120 million. However, the roles of small-scale producers and women workers in furniture industry are weak. Though women workers play an important role in generating revenue, they are paid less than men. They are also less powerful and exercise less control over resources, decision making, product development and bargaining. Action research and value chain analysis were used to improve small-scale producers and women workers. This paper explores different scenarios for upgrading small-scale producers, such as participation in trade exhibitions, training programmes and producer associations and their effects on women workers.

REDD+ politics in the media: A case study from Vietnam

Abstract: Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from land uses. Vietnam is engaged in the international REDD+ debate and is a partner to numerous multi- and bilateral agreements. Different actors have diverse interests in the REDD+ agenda, and in Vietnam, even though an authoritarian state, different views exist on what REDD+ should achieve. Through the analysis of media articles this study intends to understand how public debates on REDD+ are framed in the Vietnamese policy domain and how actors use the media to promote their interests. Reporting about a diversity of actors and interests, in particular related to expressions of equity concerns in media frames could reflect a growing inclusive political space. Our findings show that while state actors dominate REDD+ media frames, some limited space is present for non-state actors' interests, but equity issue discussed still reflect predominantly state mediated concerns. However, caution is still required due to the limitations these findings come with.

Commercial management of non-timber forest products in Nepal's community forest users groups: who benefits?

Abstract: SUMMARY Forest policies in Nepal encourage community forest users to commercialise non-timber forest products for income generation. This study sought to understand the ability of forest users to increase their household income benefit through commercial non-timber forest product management by conducting a multiple linear regression analysis. Furthermore it compares the income generation potential of traditional to enterprise-oriented approaches. Results indicate that, in the enterprise-oriented approach, low wealth category households derived income benefits only when they had equitable access to forests and a reliable market. The findings also show that, under the traditional approach, income benefits are the highest for rich households and the least for female-headed poor households. In contrast, the enterprise-oriented approach strengthens the role of disadvantaged poor households. The study concludes that commercialisation of non-timber forest products does not automatically result in equitable incom...

Introduction to the Special Issue on Forests and Gender

Abstract: The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests (IYOF). The IYOF is intended to raise awareness and strengthen sustainable forest management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations. Yet even as the world celebrates the role of forests and trees in enhancing economic, social and environmental benefits of some of the worlds’ poorest, core challenges remain. This special feature of the International Forestry Review (IFR) focuses on forestry and gender. Drawn from a wide variety of contexts in Africa, Asia and Latin America, papers in this special issue explore the gendered dimensions of diverse topics from multiple empirical perspectives. They highlight advances made by women in forest resource management and benefits and consider some of the core challenges to women’s involvement in various aspects related to the use, sale and management of these resources. Some of the questions addressed include: