Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods

To understand the role of forest products in households people need to understand the nature of rural livelihoods and the characteristics of forest products. Rural households typically have a wide livelihood portfolio, encompassing a range of activities. They also generally face low availability of...

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Main Authors: Campbell, Bruce M., Luckert, M.K.
Format: Book Chapter
Language:Inglés
Published: Routledge 2002
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18475
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author Campbell, Bruce M.
Luckert, M.K.
author_browse Campbell, Bruce M.
Luckert, M.K.
author_facet Campbell, Bruce M.
Luckert, M.K.
author_sort Campbell, Bruce M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description To understand the role of forest products in households people need to understand the nature of rural livelihoods and the characteristics of forest products. Rural households typically have a wide livelihood portfolio, encompassing a range of activities. They also generally face low availability of capital, are prone to risks and have little formal education. Many forest products are common pool resources, with some showing very little exclusivity. Many of them can be brought into a marketing chain with minimum capital investment. In the face of risk, forest products are often a source of sustenance or can be used to raise cash in the case of emergencies. Most forest products do not require high skill levels to bring them into production. There is thus a strong match between the characteristics of the rural poor and the characteristics of forest products. While this book is focussed on households, it is always necessary to see the household within the broader framework, of national policies, of a specific macro-economic framework, of international tourist markets, of a global climate, etc. The book is directed to non-economists working in the context of developing countries. The purpose is to provide an overview of methods that may be used to assess the economic importance of forests to household livelihoods. The methods are presented with a number of examples of their use, most of them drawn from developing countries. There is a danger that the numbers derived by valuation become ends in themselves. A valuation exercise is only one part of a much broader understanding that is required. The authors stress the need to understand the complexity inherent in rural livelihood strategies, to fully understand the context of particular case studies, and to use valuation only as one step towards understanding decision-making within rural households.
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spelling CGSpace184752025-01-24T14:19:45Z Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods Campbell, Bruce M. Luckert, M.K. forest resources woodlands rural welfare forest products households economics valuation methodology To understand the role of forest products in households people need to understand the nature of rural livelihoods and the characteristics of forest products. Rural households typically have a wide livelihood portfolio, encompassing a range of activities. They also generally face low availability of capital, are prone to risks and have little formal education. Many forest products are common pool resources, with some showing very little exclusivity. Many of them can be brought into a marketing chain with minimum capital investment. In the face of risk, forest products are often a source of sustenance or can be used to raise cash in the case of emergencies. Most forest products do not require high skill levels to bring them into production. There is thus a strong match between the characteristics of the rural poor and the characteristics of forest products. While this book is focussed on households, it is always necessary to see the household within the broader framework, of national policies, of a specific macro-economic framework, of international tourist markets, of a global climate, etc. The book is directed to non-economists working in the context of developing countries. The purpose is to provide an overview of methods that may be used to assess the economic importance of forests to household livelihoods. The methods are presented with a number of examples of their use, most of them drawn from developing countries. There is a danger that the numbers derived by valuation become ends in themselves. A valuation exercise is only one part of a much broader understanding that is required. The authors stress the need to understand the complexity inherent in rural livelihood strategies, to fully understand the context of particular case studies, and to use valuation only as one step towards understanding decision-making within rural households. 2002 2012-06-04T09:06:30Z 2012-06-04T09:06:30Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18475 en Routledge Campbell, B.M., Luckert, M.K. 2002. Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods . People and Plants Conservation Series In: Luckert, M.K. and Campbell, B.M. (eds.). Uncovering the hidden harvest: valuation methods for woodlands and forest resources. :1-12. London, UK, Earthscan Publications.
spellingShingle forest resources
woodlands
rural welfare
forest products
households
economics
valuation
methodology
Campbell, Bruce M.
Luckert, M.K.
Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods
title Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods
title_full Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods
title_fullStr Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods
title_full_unstemmed Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods
title_short Towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods
title_sort towards understanding the role of forests in rural livelihoods
topic forest resources
woodlands
rural welfare
forest products
households
economics
valuation
methodology
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/18475
work_keys_str_mv AT campbellbrucem towardsunderstandingtheroleofforestsinrurallivelihoods
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