Poverty Reduction Through Non-Timber Forest Products: Personal Stories PDF
Preview Poverty Reduction Through Non-Timber Forest Products: Personal Stories
Sustainable Development Goals Series No Poverty Deepa Pullanikkatil Editors Charlie M. Shackleton Poverty Reduction Through Non-Timber Forest Products Personal Stories Sustainable Development Goals Series Series editors R. B. Singh, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India Suraj Mal, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India Michael E. Meadows, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa WorldleadersadoptedSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)aspartofthe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Providing in-depth knowledge, this series fosters comprehensive research on the global targets to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change. Sustainability of Future Earth is currently a major concern for the global community and has been a central theme for a number of major global initiatives viz. Health and Well-being in Changing Urban Environment, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, COP21, Habi- tat III and Future Earth Initiative. Perceiving the dire need for Sustainable Development, the United Nations and world leaders formulated the SDG targetsasacomprehensiveframeworkbasedonthesuccessoftheMillennium DevelopmentGoals(MDGs).Thegoalscallforactionbyallcountries,poor, rich and middle-income, to promote prosperity while protecting the planet earth and its life support system. For sustainability to be achieved, it is important to have inputs from all sectors, societies and stakeholders. Therefore,thisseriesontheSustainableDevelopmentGoalsaimstoprovide acomprehensiveplatformtothescientific,teachingandresearchcommunities working on various global issues in the field of geography, earth sciences, environmental science, social sciences and human geosciences, in order to contributeknowledgetowardsthecurrent17SustainableDevelopmentGoals. VolumesintheSeriesareorganizedbytherelevantgoal,andguidedbyan expertinternationalpanelofadvisors.Contributionsarewelcomefromscientists, policymakersandresearchersworkinginthefieldofanyofthefollowinggoals: No Poverty Zero Hunger Good Health and Well-Being Quality Education Gender Equality Clean Water and Sanitation Affordable and Clean Energy Decent Work and Economic Growth Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Reduced Inequalities Sustainable Cities and Communities Responsible Consumption and Production Climate Action Life Below Water Life on Land Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Partnerships for the Goals The theory, techniques and methods applied in the contributions will be benchmarks and guide researchers on the knowledge and understanding needed for future generations. The series welcomes case studies and good practices from diverse regions, and enhances the understanding at local and regional levels in order to contribute towards global sustainability. More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/15486 Deepa Pullanikkatil Charlie M. Shackleton (cid:129) Editors Poverty Reduction Through Non-Timber Forest Products Personal Stories 123 Editors DeepaPullanikkatil CharlieM.Shackleton Department ofEnvironmental Science Department ofEnvironmental Science RhodesUniversity RhodesUniversity Grahamstown, EasternCape Grahamstown, EasternCape SouthAfrica SouthAfrica ISSN 2523-3084 ISSN 2523-3092 (electronic) Sustainable Development GoalsSeries ISBN978-3-319-75579-3 ISBN978-3-319-75580-9 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75580-9 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2018952615 ©SpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG2019 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeor part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations,recitation,broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway, andtransmissionorinformationstorageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware, orbysimilarordissimilarmethodologynowknownorhereafterdeveloped. Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthis publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exemptfromtherelevantprotectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. Thepublisher,theauthorsandtheeditorsaresafetoassumethattheadviceandinformationin thisbookarebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material containedhereinorforanyerrorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade.Thepublisherremains neutralwithregardtojurisdictionalclaimsinpublishedmapsandinstitutionalaffiliations. ThisSpringerimprintispublishedbytheregisteredcompanySpringerNatureSwitzerlandAG Theregisteredcompanyaddressis:Gewerbestrasse11,6330Cham,Switzerland Foreword It is a real pleasure to write a foreword for this wonderful volume, both because it is about non-timber forest products (NTFPs), which have fasci- nated me since my undergraduate days, and because of the unique approach the editors have chosen to take. Some of my favourite memories are of learning to make shea butter from women in western Benin during research for my Ph.D. Each woman collected the fallen fruits in a particular location and had her own way of oven- or sun-drying the nuts, of shelling them to obtain the oil-rich kernels and then grinding these to a chocolate-coloured paste which, on washing, miraculously gave rise to a creamy-white butter whichwasthenstoredinavarietyofcontainersdependingonwhetheritwas intendedforsubsistenceuse,saleatthelocalmarketordestinedfortheurban marketofCotonou.Itwasarareandimmenselyenjoyableprivilegetospend time with some wonderful women who allowed me to participate in their collection and processing activities while telling me about when and why they had started making shea butter, the challenges the work entailed, and what it meant to them and their families. Sadly, it isn’t possible for us all to travel and learn about the many wonderful NTFPs in this world in such a personal way. But reading the storiesinthisbookcomesaveryclosesecond.Eachstoryanditsassociated picturestransportyoustraightintoatrader’slife.Theirvoicesspeakdirectly to us, telling us about the journeys—sometimes meandering, often chal- lenging, always exciting—they have travelled to become the NTFP traders they are today. Along the way, their stories offer insights into a way of life that is directly engaged with nature in a manner many of us have never experienced. Although each story is unique—and this is one of the biggest challengesforpolicy-makerstryingtosupportNTFPactivities—astrongset of positive messages comes through loud and clear. First,NTFPtraderscanbefoundineverycountryoftheworld.NTFPsare as likely to be traded in Cameroon as in the United States or Brazil. From high value truffles in Italy to incense sticks in India and palm wine in Mozambique, these are both high and low value products which may be traded on local, national and global markets. Regardless of product and location, what these traders have in common is that they are entrepreneurs, withanincredibleabilitytoinnovatebothintermsoftheirproductsandtheir marketing strategies. v vi Foreword Second, these stories speak of the importance of traditional knowledge, with many traders having learned their skills from parents or other mentors. At the same time, almost every story illustrates the vital role of external supportatsome stage inthejourney.Whetheritistoimprove thequality of honey through better bee-keeping techniques or to expand markets for basket-makers by establishing a cooperative, there is a significant role for private,NGOandstateagenciestoprovidesupporttothesetraderstoenable them to develop their production and marketing skills. And many traders proudly pass on the favour, by sharing their knowledge with other people. Third, the value of NTFPs to traders is so much more than the income it provides. For those of us interested in NTFPs, it has long been a huge frustration that their value is overlooked in national policies and by devel- opmentagenciesbecause,whenconvertedintodollars,theircontributionsto aperson’slivelihoodmayseemsmall.Theexamplesinthisbookareagreat illustration of the need to think about people’s well-being in a more holistic way.Certainly,NTFPsareanimportantsourceofcashwhichtraderscanuse to cover their basic needs. But the money is also used to pay for education, for gifts, for luxury items and for social get-togethers—contributing to improved status in family and society. The self-confidence and societal respect gained from having a successful trade are immensely important, especially for women. They can even empower traders to engage in decision-making forums as described by Giraben, the bamboo furniture makerfromGujarat,whosuccessfullystoodforelectiontolocalgovernment. In some cases, like that of the pine needle cooperative in Nicaragua, the activity can expand beyond a few people to create an attraction that brings benefits for a whole community. Fourth,itisstrikingthatmanyofthetradersdidnotstartoutasspecialists intheirfieldbutcarriedouttheirtradeaspartofaportfolioofactivities,and onlybecamemoreinvestedintheNTFPwhenitfittedintotheirchanginglife circumstances. The flexibility with which NTFP trade can be integrated into people’s lives is one of their hallmark characteristics, making them equally attractivetopeoplelookingforsmallincomesupplementsandtopeoplewith greater ambitions. Lastly, and very importantly at a time when many environments in both the global North and South are being rapidly degraded, these traders are engaged in activities that rely on raw materials from nature. Most of the traders are very aware of their dependence on the natural environment, and speak of it with great appreciation. They are concerned not only with the impacts of degradation but also with changes in governance which can reducetheiraccesstotheresourceandtheirabilitytocontributetodecisions about how it is managed. Charlie Shackleton has been a consistent champion of improving our understandingofNTFPs.HeandDeepaPullanikkatilaretobecongratulated not only for pulling together such a wonderfully diverse selection of cases but also for breaking new ground by allowing traders to speak for them- selves. Their introductory and concluding chapters provide an excellent review of both the depth and breadth of research on NTFPs, and provide valuable lessons to policy-makers on how to promote the hidden and often Foreword vii under-valued role of NTFPs in enabling people to lift themselves out of poverty. Wherever you are reading this book, I hope it inspires you to find and learn from a local NTFP trader, whether they be a mushroom forager, a basket-maker, carver or bee-keeper. Your life will be richer for it. Kate Schreckenberg Reader in Development Geography Department of Geography King’s College London London WC2B 4BG, UK Acknowledgements Theeditorswouldliketoexpresstheirsincerethankstoallthecontributorsto this text, in particular the non-timber forest product traders from around the world who enthusiastically shared their personal stories with us or country based colleagues, as well as colleagues and photographers who documented thestories.ThisworkwascompletedundertheauspicesoftheSouthAfrican ResearchChairsInitiativeoftheDepartmentofScienceandTechnologyand the National Research Foundation of South Africa. Any opinion, finding, conclusion or recommendation expressed in this material is that of the authors and the NRF does not accept any liability in this regard. ix Contents Part I Introduction Poverty Reduction Strategies and Non-timber Forest Products... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 3 Deepa Pullanikkatil and Charlie M. Shackleton Considering the Links Between Non-timber Forest Products and Poverty Alleviation. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 15 Charlie M. Shackleton and Deepa Pullanikkatil Part II Personal Stories The Gubinge of the Twin Lakes... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 31 Bruno Dann Açai Berry: Brazil’s Super Fruit .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 37 Geová Alves and Roberta Peixoto Ramos Honey Production in Urban Cameroon. .... .... .... ..... .... 45 Fonyuy Thomas Tata and Ojong Baa Enokenwa Cameroon’s Elixir: Palm wine.... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 49 Joseph Ntoh and Ojong Baa Enokenwa A Full Circle . .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 53 Zhou Rong and Saurabh Upadhyay Guatemala’s Nutritious Green Gold from the “Tree of Life” .... 59 Angela Izabela, Fajardo Barrientos, Giulia Muir, Julio Javier Madrid, Elena Baumanns and Luisa Vanderwegen Crafting Out of Poverty ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 65 Gira Ben, Ann-Cathrin Jöst, K. Rathna, Charlotte King and Saurabh Upadhyay The Uplifting Fragrance of Incense.... .... .... .... ..... .... 69 Mira Das, Ann-Cathrin Jöst, K. Rathna, Charlotte King and Saurabh Upadhyay From Weed to Furniture .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 73 Chinnatai Rangasamy, Maya Mahajan and Aravind Radhakrishnan Truffles: The Precious Mushroom . .... .... .... .... ..... .... 79 Enrico Vidale xi
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