Winners & Losers
Investigating the human and ecological impacts of the commercialisation of
non-timber forest products (NTFPs)
|
Winners & Losers Investigating the human and ecological impacts of the commercialisation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) |
|
Project Overview
Introduction
Commercialisation
of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has an impact on poor farmers and
landless people, as well as on traders and small-scale entrepreneurs who
use the products. In aiming to achieve sustainable development, this project
looks at the economic and ecological effects of commercialisation on the
forest resource base
and
people’s livelihoods.
Project objectives
The
purpose of this project is to examine the economic and social impacts
of commercialisation of non-timber forest products on resource poor farmers
and landless people, and on artisans, traders and small-scale entrepreneurs
who make use of such products. In addition, with a view to contributing
to the achievement of sustainable development, we will examine the ecological
impacts of this commercialisation process on the forest resource base.
Poverty alleviation
There
is increasing interest throughout the world in natural products. Many such
products from tropical and sub-tropical areas may be suitable for sale in the
large markets of the developed world. The use of NTFPs
can make a significant contribution to household incomes, and thus their commercialisation may have significant potential. It must be realised, however,
that commercialisation of these valued and often ecologically vulnerable types
of NTFPs can only be effective with an adequate understanding of:
-
particular socio-economic or political circumstances where
commercialisation is planned
- the constraints on commercially generated monetary income actually reaching poorer households
-
whether NTFP commercial harvesting will be ecologically sustainable
This
project explores the many pathways associated with the commercialisation
process, and seeks to identify the “winners" and "losers” arising from
commercialising different NTFPs from two tree species in Southern Africa and
Guyana. At sites selected for their commercial activity and/or their traditional
livelihood practices, a comparative study will be made of the impacts of commercialisation on the natural, human, social, financial and physical capital
of poor communities.
Research methodology
This
project uses a variety of approaches to address the relevant issues. Resource
inventory surveys and analyses are being conducted, and household surveys
of livelihood strategies/product use are being carried out in the appropriate
locations. Assessment of the commercial market chain is being made through
data collection and analysis in both Southern Africa and Guyana, and a
Geographical Information System (GIS) database is being built. In addition
to this, email and telephone surveys are taking place in the OECD and
other developed economies, to estimate market potential for products from
Crabwood and Marula
trees. Issues of intellectual property rights (IPR) and benefit sharing
are also being investigated, and legal expertise is being brought to bear
to enable best practice guidelines for NTFP commercialisation to be produced.
|
This website is an output from a research
project funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development
(DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. |
