Riches of the forest: Fruits, remedies and handicrafts in Latin America

153 Pages·2004·3.92 MB·English

Cover.qxd 10/9/04 4:22 AM Page 1
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The chapters in this volume tell one and many stories about how the changing oo
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peoples(cid:46) As the links between people and plants become more complex(cid:44) it is e

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increasingly important to recall our dependence on plants for survival as o
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well as for our physical(cid:44) aesthetic and spiritual well(cid:45)being(cid:46) Readers of e
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as inspiration from the myriad of plant products ffr
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and the resourceful people portrayed(cid:46) i
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Miguel N(cid:46) Alexiades (cid:44)
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Department of Anthropology m
Riches of the forest:
University of Kent e
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Canterbury(cid:44) U(cid:46)K(cid:46) ie
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Citlalli López
Patricia Shanley
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Riches of the forest:
Fruits(cid:44) remedies and handicrafts
in Latin America

Riches of the forest:
Fruits(cid:44) remedies and handicrafts
in Latin America
Editors
Citlalli López
Patricia Shanley
Alfredo Celso Fantini
Scientific reviewer: Miguel N(cid:46) Alexiades
Reviewer and copy editor: Tess Holderness(cid:44) Claire Miller (assistant)
Copy editor of introduction and conclusions: Henning Pape(cid:45)Santos
Case study and cover illustrations: April Mansyah
Botanical illustrations: Silvia Cordeiro
(except Sabal yapa and Pouteria sapotaby Ishak Syamsudin)
Lay(cid:45)out: Eko Prianto and Yani Saloh
©(cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:52) by Center for International Forestry Research
All rights reserved(cid:46) Published in (cid:50)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:52)
Printed in Desa Putra(cid:44) Indonesia
ISBN (cid:57)(cid:55)(cid:57)(cid:45)(cid:51)(cid:51)(cid:54)(cid:49)(cid:45)(cid:52)(cid:54)(cid:45)(cid:56)
Office address:
Jalan CIFOR(cid:44) Situ Gede
Sindang Barang(cid:44) Bogor Barat (cid:49)(cid:54)(cid:54)(cid:56)(cid:48)(cid:44) Indonesia
Mailing address:
P(cid:46)O(cid:46) Box (cid:54)(cid:53)(cid:57)(cid:54) JKPWB(cid:44) Jakarta (cid:49)(cid:48)(cid:48)(cid:54)(cid:53)(cid:44) Indonesia
Tel: (cid:43)(cid:54)(cid:50) ((cid:50)(cid:53)(cid:49)) (cid:54)(cid:50)(cid:50) (cid:54)(cid:50)(cid:50)
Fax: (cid:43)(cid:54)(cid:50) ((cid:50)(cid:53)(cid:49)) (cid:54)(cid:50)(cid:50) (cid:49)(cid:48)(cid:48)
E(cid:45)mail: cifor@cgiar(cid:46)org
Website: www(cid:46)cifor(cid:46)cgiar(cid:46)org
Acknowledgements
This volume is part of CIFOR's broader NTFP Case Comparison Project(cid:44) led by Brian Belcher and
Manuel Ruiz(cid:45)Pérez(cid:46) We are grateful to all our NTFP project colleagues from Latin America for their
active involvement in the production of this volume(cid:44) especially the 'restitution' working group(cid:44)
Rocío Alarcón Gallegos(cid:44) Silvia E(cid:46) Purata(cid:44) Paul Hersch(cid:45)Martínez and Mariana Ciavatta Pantoja(cid:46)
Throughout the production of the three "Riches of the Forest" volumes we received ongoing support
and constructive comments from Brian Belcher(cid:44) we want to thank him for his invaluable
participation(cid:46) The introduction and conclusion of this volume is the product of a collaborative effort(cid:44)
for which we thank Miguel N(cid:46) Alexiades(cid:44) Gabriel Medina(cid:44) Jenne de Beer and Carol C(cid:46) Colfer(cid:46) At CIFOR
headquarters we are appreciative of the participation of Koen Kusters(cid:44) Takeshi Toma(cid:44) Titin Suhartini(cid:44)
Ramadhani Achdiawan and Andy Darmawa and to the excellent technical and creative support from
the CIFOR(cid:45)Communications Unit(cid:44) Information Services Group(cid:44) especially Michael Hailu(cid:44) Yani Saloh(cid:44)
Eko Prianto and Gideon Suharyanto(cid:46) This volume would not have been possible without the
generous support from the UK Department for International Development (DFID)(cid:44) the European
Commission (EC) and the Overbrook Foundation(cid:46)
Foreword
While humans have always depended on plants for their survival as well as for their physical(cid:44)
aesthetic and spiritual well(cid:45)being(cid:44) the links between people and plants have become increasingly
vast and complex(cid:46) Many plant products are still consumed and exchanged outside of the monetary
system(cid:44) close to the same forests where they are harvested or produced(cid:46) Other products however(cid:44)
are transformed well beyond recognition and transported half(cid:45)way across the world(cid:44) generating
millions of dollars in foreign exchange and creating considerable employment among harvesters(cid:44)
processors(cid:44) traders and retailers(cid:46) This trend in turn(cid:44) reflects a fundamental historical process: the
increasing interconnections (cid:45) economic(cid:44) social and cultural (cid:45) that link disparate environments(cid:44)
people and places(cid:46)
The chapters in this book tell one and many stories(cid:46) Overall(cid:44) the most important message is that
Latin American forests contain an extraordinary diversity of plants which(cid:44) over thousands of years(cid:44)
humans have learned to exploit(cid:44) harness(cid:44) manipulate(cid:44) and in some cases promote(cid:44) while in others (cid:45)
sadly (cid:45) destroy(cid:46) This diversity continues to hold a promise for human social development(cid:44) albeit one
not without challenges(cid:46) One of the many themes within this book relates to human ingenuity and
adaptability(cid:46) Non(cid:45)timber forest products have historically served as safety nets for the farmers and
extractors who harvest and sell them(cid:44) and as such(cid:44) are part of complex management systems and
responses to environmental(cid:44) political and economic fluctuations(cid:46)
International demand for Latin American forest products(cid:44) for example(cid:44) has historically undergone
'boom and bust' cycles(cid:46) Booming demand has typically followed on from the 'discovery' of a forest
product and its later integration into the world market(cid:46) This in turn(cid:44) has sometimes led to the
product or plant's eventual demise(cid:44) through over(cid:45)exploitation or through substitution by a more
abundant or cheaper alternative(cid:46) Another theme contained within the narratives of this volume thus
refers to the social(cid:44) political and economic history of the Latin American tropics(cid:44) as revealed through
the stories about its forest plant products and the people who harvest and sell them(cid:46) Yet another
theme relates to the way the changing fortunes of different forest plants are linked to the changing
fortunes of different groups of people(cid:46) Any change(cid:44) be it in terms of supply(cid:44) demand(cid:44) or any of their
conditioning factors(cid:44) is linked to shifts in equity between different stakeholders along the
commodity chain(cid:46)
Readers of this book can thus draw some important lessons (cid:45) warnings as well as inspiration (cid:45) from
the plant products and the people portrayed within these pages(cid:44) and from the anecdotes described
in the individual case studies(cid:46) Above all(cid:44) they can admire and ponder the ways in which the lives and
fates of a myriad of people(cid:44) plants and places are linked together by forest products and by those
who harvest(cid:44) process(cid:44) transport and consume them(cid:46)
Miguel NN(cid:46) AAlexiades
Department of Anthropology
University of Kent
Canterbury(cid:44) U(cid:46)K(cid:46)
vii
Table of contents
Acknowledgements v
Foreword vi
Map oof LLatin AAmerican ccases aand llocations X
Introduction: SSetting tthe sscene
(cid:49)
Fruits
Bacuri (cid:45) Socorro Ferreira & Gabriel Medina (cid:53)
Pupunha (cid:45) Charles R(cid:46) Clement (cid:57)
Camu(cid:45)camu (cid:45) Mario Pinedo Panduro (cid:49)(cid:51)
Babassu (cid:45) Claudio Urbano B(cid:46) Pinheiro (cid:49)(cid:53)
Zapote mamey (cid:45) Yolanda Nava(cid:45)Cruz & Martin Ricker (cid:50)(cid:49)
Uxi (cid:45) Patricia Shanley & Gloria Gaia (cid:50)(cid:53)
Leaves
Espinheira(cid:45)santa(cid:44) medicinal leaves (cid:45) Marianne C(cid:46) Scheffer (cid:50)(cid:57)
Camedor palm(cid:44) ornamental plant / decorative leaves (cid:45) César Carrillo Trueba (cid:51)(cid:51)
Toquilla fibre(cid:44) Panama hat(cid:44) (cid:45) Rocío Alarcón Gallegos (cid:51)(cid:55)
Jipi japa fibre(cid:44) handicrafts (cid:45) Erik Arancibia & Fausto López (cid:52)(cid:49)
Pita fibre(cid:44) embroidery (cid:45) Fabrice Edouard (cid:52)(cid:53)
Carqueja(cid:44) medicinal leaves (cid:45) Walter Steenbock (cid:52)(cid:57)
Xa'an palm(cid:44) thatching leaves (cid:45) Javier Caballero(cid:44) María Teresa Pulido (cid:53)(cid:51)
& Andrea Martinez(cid:45)Ballesté
Seeds(cid:44) RRoots aand SShoots
Allspice(cid:44) pepper seasoning (cid:45) Miguel Angel Martínez Alfaro(cid:44)
Virginia Evangelista Oliva(cid:44) Myrna Mendoza Cruz(cid:44) Cristina Mapes
& Francisco Basurto Peña (cid:53)(cid:55)
Fáfia(cid:44) Brazilian ginseng (cid:45) Cirino Corrêa Júnior & Lin Chau Ming (cid:54)(cid:49)
Ipecacuana(cid:44) medicinal root (cid:45) Rafael A(cid:46) Ocampo Sánchez (cid:54)(cid:53)
Palmito(cid:44) edible palm heart (cid:45) Alfredo Celso Fantini (cid:54)(cid:57)
Andiroba(cid:44) medicinal oil (cid:45) Patricia Shanley (cid:55)(cid:51)
Bark aand WWood
Alebrijes(cid:44) wood carvings (cid:45) Silvia E(cid:46) Purata(cid:44) Berry J(cid:46) Brosi & Michael Chibnik (cid:55)(cid:55)
Cat's claw(cid:44) medicinal vine (cid:45) Wil de Jong & Walter Nalvarte (cid:56)(cid:49)
Amate(cid:44) bark paper (cid:45) Citlalli López (cid:56)(cid:53)
Exudates
Pine resin (cid:45) Ynocente Betancourt Figueras & Maria Josefa Villalba Fonte (cid:56)(cid:57)
Linaloe(cid:44) wood carving / essential oil (cid:45) Paul Hersch(cid:45)Martínez (cid:57)(cid:51)
Rubber(cid:44) vegetal leather (cid:45) Mariana Ciavatta Pantoja (cid:57)(cid:55)
Lessons llearned:
Cultural and commercial benefits of forest products (cid:49)(cid:48)(cid:49)
References (cid:49)(cid:48)(cid:57)
Glossary (cid:49)(cid:50)(cid:50)
Authors' ccontact ddetails (cid:49)(cid:51)(cid:49)
Source mmaterial uused ffor tthe iillustrations (cid:49)(cid:51)(cid:56)