Commercialization of non-timber forest products. Factors influencing success. Lessons learned from Mexico and Bolivia and policy implications for decision- makers. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 23. PDF
Preview Commercialization of non-timber forest products. Factors influencing success. Lessons learned from Mexico and Bolivia and policy implications for decision- makers. UNEP-WCMC Biodiversity Series 23.
Commercialization of non-timber forest products Factors influencing success Lessons learned from Mexico and Bolivia and policy implications for decision-makers Editors: E. Marshall, K. Schreckenberg, A.C. Newton WCMC QNEP Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2010 witii funding from UNEP-WCIVIC, Cambridge Iittp://www.arcliive.org/details/commercializatio06mars Mm a%-r4 Commercialization of non-timber forest products Factors influencing success Lessons learned fronn Mexico and Bolivia and policy innplications for decision-makers Editors: WCMC E. Marshall, K. Schreckenberg, A.C. Newton VEP UNEP WCMC Sponsor UNEPWorldConservationMonitoringCentre 219 Huntingdon Road CambridgeCB30DL, UK This publication is an output from a research project funded by Tel.:+a101 12232773U the United Kingdom Department for International Development Fax:+a101 1223277136 [DFIDI for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DFID. IR7925 Forestry PublicationandCD-ROMcontentsdownloadablefronn project Research Programme! website:www.unep-wcmc.org/forest/ntfp. DFID Deputmorifor TheUNEPWorldConservation MonitoringCentre lUNEP-WCMCl IDnetveerlnaolptmoennalt IStfiebiodiversityassessmentand policyimplementationarm of theUnited NationsEnvironmentProgrammelUNEPl,theworlds foremost intergovernmental environmental organization. The Centre has been in operation for over 25 years, combining Collaborating organizations scientificresearchwithpracticalpolicyadvice. UNEP-WCMC provides objective, scientifically rigorous products and services to help decision-makers recognize the value of biodiversity and apply this knowledge to all that they Overseas Development Institute do. Its core business is managing data about ecosystems and biodiversity, interpreting and analysing that data to provide assessmentsandpolicyanalysis.andmakingtheresultsavailable tonationalandinternationaldecision-makersand businesses. Bournemouth University Recommended citation; Marshall. E.. Schreckenberg. K. and Newton.A.C.ledsl2006.CommercializationofNon-timberForest Products: Factors Influencing Success. Lessons Learned from ^# CARE MexicoandBoliviaandPolicyImplicationsforDecision-makers. care UNEPWorldConservation MonitoringCentre.Cambridge. UK. ASansonproduction Grupo Mesofilo Graphicdesign:JohnCarrod Productioneditors: Karen Eng. Helen de Mattos Printed byCambridge Printers. UK GrupodeEstudiosAmbientales ©UNEPWorldConsen/ation MonitoringCentre,2006 GEA. ISBN92-807-2677-3 MethodusConsuUora ^Mg^^ ReddeAprendizaje. Intercambioy SistematizactondeExpenencias ISES hacialaSustentabilidad Thecontenlsofthisreportdonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsorpolicies ofDFID.theUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgrammeortheUNEPWorld Conservation Monitoring Centre. The designations employed and the presentationsdonotimplytheexpressionsofanyopinionwhatsoeveron thepartoftheseorganizationsconcerningthelegalstatusofanycountry, territory,cityorareaoritsauthority,orconcerningthedelimitationofits frontiersorboundaries. Authors Acknowledgements Elaine Marshall We gratefully acknowledge the generous participation UNEPWorld Conservation Monitoring Centre of the case study communities and market traders in the lUNEP-WCMC), 219 Huntingdon Road research process,withoutwhomthisprojectwould nothave CambridgeCB3ODL. UK been possible.Wethankcommunityauthoritiesand leaders E-mail: [email protected] of campesino organizations for helping us to obtain the [email protected] necessarydata. With many thanks for the encouragement and KathrinSchreckenberg, DirkWillemteVelde constructive feedback from our reviewers: Mike Arnold Overseas Development Institute(ODD and anonymous Forestry Research Programme external 111 WestminsterBridge Road reviewer; Hannah Jaenicke, Margaret Marshall. Neville Ash LondonSE1 7JD, UK and Kaveh Zahedi. E-mail: k.schreckenberg@odi,org.uk Our thanks also to the many participants at the inception workshops in Mexico and Bolivia in 2001. A.C. Newton including Esteban Garcia Peha. Emma Beltran. Cintia Schoolof Conservation Sciences Aldana, Philip Bubb. Katnn Linzer. Ruben Leigue. Fernando Bournemouth University. Talbot Campus Guadarama. Alvaro Gonzalez. Jorge Lopez and Diana Poole. Dorset BH12 5BB, UK Pritchard. Thanks also to Charlotte Boyd for making that E-mail: [email protected] invaluablefirstcontactpointforworkingwithODIandSavitri Abeyasekera for reviewing and providing feedback on our Jonathan Rushton, Luis Perez, CeciliaViscarra statisticalapproaches. Corinna Ravilious prepared the case CEVEP, Casilla 10474, La Paz. Bolivia study maps and James OCarroll designed the CEPFOR E-mail: [email protected] project website; Katelijne Rothschild Van Look and Jody Sunley provided generous project administration support. ErikArancibia, Florencio Maldonado, Our thanks to Duncan Golicher for assistance with the CesarEnriquez. Isidro Rodriguez, Fausto Lopez development of the Bayesian belief network, and to Olivier CARE. Casilla 6034. La Paz. Bolivia Cottray and Finbarr OSullivan for designing the Java E-mail: [email protected] interfaceforthedecisionsupporttool. [email protected] Last, butmostcertainlynotleast,theCEPFORteam www.carebolivia org is especially grateful to John Palmer for his unerring supportofthisproject. FabriceEdouard, RadayQuero MethodusConsultora. Crespo 524D ColCentro. Oaxaca. OaxCP68000 Mexico E-mail:[email protected] [email protected] www.raisesorg Catarina lllsley,TonantzinGomez Grupo de EstudiosAmbientales.Allende7 Santa Ursula Coapa, Mexico DFCP04650. Mexico E-mail: gea@laneta,apc.org Janett de losSantos,Juan Carlos Flores, Alvaro Gonzalez Grupo Mesofilo. PinoSuarez205 Centro Historico Oaxaca. Oaxaca. 68000. Mexico E-mail:[email protected]@hotmail.com Alan Bojanic E-mail: [email protected] I Commercialization of non-timberforest products Foreword Thechallengesofaddressingglobalpovertyinasustainable This collaborative venture between UK institutions and wayaregreaterthan ever.Thewell-being ofmorethan half project partners in Bolivia and Mexico provides a deeper of the 1.2 billion people who live in poverty depends to a understanding of how marketing networks are structured, significant degree on the availability of non-timber forest and how NTFP commercialization can contribute to products iNTFPs). Such products are used to meet daily widergoals. subsistenceneeds,makingasignificantcontributiontofood Results of the research indicate that successful security, and also provide a valuable source of building NTFP commercialization can reduce poverty, and can materials and medicines. In addition, trade in NTFPs often providewomenwith agreatersenseofself-confidenceand provides an important source of cash income for the rural improved status within the household and the community. poor Populations in forested areas are increasingly being However, there remains a need to help the rural poor subjected to changes brought about by economic growth overcome thevarious challenges that constrain successful and are being presented with new opportunities to engage NTFP commercialization, including securing a sustainable intrade.Thisistransforming thewaythatforestsareused. resource supply, accessing market information and Theopportunities for low-income producers to use natural developing ways ofovercoming uneven powerand barriers assets to reduce poverty are significant, but this potential tomarketentry.Thispublicationsummarizesthe resultsof canonlyberealized ifthe rightsupportis provided. the project, in a way that should provide direct support to The potential contribution of NTFPs to poverty decision-making. Our hope is that the findings and reductionthroughsustainabletradeandincomegeneration recommendations of this work will help policy-makers IS not being fully realized. There are many obstacles to directtheirworkandtargettheirresourcestohelpmeetthe subsistencefarmers,localprocessorsandtraderssecuring United Nations Millennium Development Goals of reducing a reliableand fairmarketfortheirharvested products.The povertyandensuring environmentalsustainability. capacity of the poor needs to be increased to fully benefit fromthevarietyofservicesand goodsthatsustainable use of biodiversity can provide. Effective local governance and an enabling policy environment are needed to protect the natural resource base upon which rural livelihoods relyso heavily. Also, access is needed to information on how successful NTFP commercialization can be achieved in practice, so that external support and donor investments can be targeted moreeffectively. This research project, funded by the UK's Department for International Development through its TheRightHonourableHilaryBennMP Forestry Research Programme, has examined the key SecretaryofStateforInternationalDevelopment factors that influence successful NTFP commercialization. GovernmentoftheUnitedKingdom I Executivesummary summary Executive Commercialization of non-timber forest products iNTFPsI has been widely promoted as an approach to rural development in tropical forest areas. However, donor investments in the development of NTFP resources have often failed to deliver the expected benefits in terms of poverty alleviation and improved conservation of natural resources. In order to ensure that NTFPs fulfil their potential contribution to sustainable development, it is important to understand the reasons for success and failure,andtheconditionsunderwhich NTFP commercialization can make a positive contribution tothe livelihoodsofthe poor. This publication presents the findings of the CEPFOR project ICommercialization of non-timber forest products in Mexico and Bolivia: factors influencing success), a multi- disciplinary research initiative involving part- ners drawn from the UK, Mexico and Bolivia. The research team critically examined the factors influencing successful NTFP com- mercialization and tested and further devel- oped theory relating tothe commercialization of NTFPs and rural development. Socio- economic and marl<et research examined the impact of different NTFP commercialization networl<s lvalue chains! on poverty reduction, women's livelihoods, natural resources and FlyingfromLaPazdovKntotherubberandcocoacommunitieslocatedintfie rights and access of the poor, in eight BolivianAmazon. communities in Bolivia and 10 in Mexico. The structure and function of 16 NTFP value chains were tSuccess should not simply be defined at the analysed,enablingidentificationoftheattributesthatmal<ea product level; success should be defined in chain successful. The main findings of the CEPFOR project relationtothe needsofpeople. arepresented below. tDifferent actors along a product value chain may have very different perceptions of what SUCCESSFULCOMMERCIALIZATION MEANSDIFFERENT constitutessuccess. THINGSTODIFFERENTPEOPLE tSuccess can usefully be considered at different Success cannot be summarized by a single variable, and levels, including households and the individuals community perceptions of success need to be assessed within them, communities, and at district or and incorporated in project planning and evaluation. Key nationallevel. findingsinclude: »At each level there are social, economic and There is a need to engage directly with com- environmentalaspectsofsuccess. munitiesandotherstakeholdersinthe NTFPvalue tDefinitions of success may be dynamic, changing chain, to jointly identify criteria of success and m response to variations in socio-economic discussthetrade-offsthatmightbeneeded. circumstancesand thebehaviourofthemarket. Commercialization ofnon-timberforest products NTFPACTIVITIESPROVIDEANIMPORTANT improved management of the natural resource OPPORTUNITYFORPOVERTYREDUCTION and betterharvesting practicesarecommon. NTFPs are important in the lives of the rural poor, and t Ifland is held privatelyand the plantcan beeasily incomevariesgreatlyevenbetw/een householdsengaged in propagated, individuals begin to engage in small- thesameactivity. Keyfindings includethatNTFPactivities: scaledomestication. tcontribute betvi/een7percentand 95percentofa IThere isnoevidencethatNTFPcommercialization householdsannualcash income; reduces access rights to the wild resource for Iregularly provide a safety net for the poor to the poor. fall back on when other activities - such as t Industrial plantations can displace harvesters subsistenceagricultureorcash crops likecoffee- of the wild resource as well as small-scale failtodeliverasexpected; collectors/cultivators. Isometimesprovideasteppingstonetoa non-poor lite, and neverlead toan increase in poverty. THEREISLITTLEPOLICYORLEGISLATIONSPECIFIC TONTFPsINEITHERMEXICOORBOLIVIA NTFPACTIVITIESOFTENINVOLVEPOORPEOPLEBUTMAY Improvedcross-sectoralcoordinationwouldhelpensurethat ALSOINVOLVETHELESSPOOR poorproducers, processorsand tradersare betterplaced to Hhe importance of NTFPs in household livelihood meet the legislative and institutional requirements for strategiesiscloselylinkedtotheirseasonalityand successfulNTFPcommercialization. Keyfindingsinclude: thewaytheymaybecombinedwithotherincome- tCommunities are often obliged to trade NTFPs in generatingactivities. theinformalsectorbecausetheylackthecapacity Hhe more months a product can be traded, the to complywith the legalrequirementsforformal- more favourably households view the activity. sectorcommercialization. Conversely, households involved in seasonal tNGO involvement can be important, but currently products are more likely to switch from NTFP most NGO support is provided through donor- activities to other livelihood options, reflecting funded projects, which are rarelycoordinatedwith theirdesire tora more consistent andyear-round governmentprogrammes. sourceofincome. increased national policy interest in NTFP commercialization is justified on the basis of its NTFPACTIVITIESCANPROVIDEWOMENWITHA contribution to national economic development, GREATERSENSEOFSELF-CONFIDENCEANDIMPROVED locallivelihoodsand conservation. STATUSWITHINTHEHOUSEHOLDANDTHECOMMUNITY All the products studied could benefit from NTFPactivities are one of the few cash-generating oppor- being marketed as speciality (e.g. organic or tunitiesforwomen in marginalized ruralcommunities. Key community-traded! products. However, certifica- findings include: tion costs could place trading beyond the reach of >Fewproductvaluechains involveonlywomen.The small-scale producers. involvement of both men and women can make an activity economically viable at household level NTFPVALUECHAINSAREHIGHLYDYNAMIC becauseskillsand timeareshared. Producers, processors and traders show a remarkable >Women are more likelythan mento be involved in degreeofresiliencetoexternalshocksand a greatabilityto processingandcultivationactivities. adapt to changing contexts. Regardless of the governance tLabour-saving technical innovation can improve of a value chain, the ability to negotiate prices and define the low returns to labour of women's NTFP the rules of trade is vital in determining the satisfaction activities. levels of poor producers, processors and traders in NTFP valuechains. Keyfindingsinclude: INTHEMAJORITYOFCASES, INCREASED Innovation, both intermsofresourcemanagement COMMERCIALIZATION INITIALLYLEADS and product processing and marketing, is often TOOVEREXPLOITATIONOFTHERESOURCE criticalto maintaining marketshare. Tenure is a key factor in determining community and tAspecialized marketnicheand productqualitycan individualstrategiestomitigateoverexploitationandensure helpprotectagainstsubstitution. that NTFP supply is sufficient to meet the demands of tMost NTFP value chains are demand driven, and increasedcommercialization. Keyfindingsinclude: establishing a new one solely on the basis of >In the case of communally owned resources. existingsupplyisunlikelytosucceed.
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