Koen Kusters

Markets drive the specialization strategies of forest peoples

Engagement in the market changes the opportunities and strategies of forest-related peoples. Efforts to support rural development need to better understand the potential importance of markets and the way people respond to them. To this end, we compared 61 case studies of the commercial production and trade of nontimber forest products from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The results show that product use is shaped by local markets and institutions, resource abundance, and the relative level of development. Larger regional patterns are also important. High-value products tend to be managed intensively by specialized producers and yield substantially higher incomes than those generated by the less specialized producers of less managed, low-value products. We conclude that commercial trade drives a process of intensified production and household specialization among forest peoples.

Measuring the effectiveness of landscape approaches to conservation and development

Landscape approaches attempt to achieve balance amongst multiple goals over long time periods and to adapt to changing conditions. We review project reports and the literature on integrated landscape approaches, and found a lack of documented studies of their long-term effectiveness. The combination of multiple and potentially changing goals presents problems for the conventional measures of impact. We propose more critical use of theories of change and measures of process and progress to complement the conventional impact assessments. Theories of change make the links between project deliverables, outputs, outcomes, and impacts explicit, and allow a full exploration of the landscape context. Landscape approaches are long-term engagements, but short-term process metrics are needed to confirm that progress is being made in negotiation of goals, meaningful stakeholder engagement, existence of connections to policy processes, and effectiveness of governance. Long-term impact metrics are needed to assess progress on achieving landscapes that deliver multiple societal benefits, including conservation, production, and livelihood benefits. Generic criteria for process are proposed, but impact metrics will be highly situation specific and must be derived from an effective process and a credible theory of change.

Pro-poor Governance of Non-timber Forest Products: The Need for Secure Tenure, the Rule of Law, Market Access and Partnerships

It is now well appreciated that the sustainability and livelihood contributions of NTFPs depend upon the manner in which they are managed and governed. Yet, governance systems are complex, context specific and constantly changing, especially as markets develop. Therefore, the attributes of good governance need to be identified, along with the enabling conditions that allow them to evolve and persist. In this chapter, we review some key conditions for good and pro-poor NTFP governance, with a focus on secure rights, equitable rule of law, market access and the building of partnerships. Through examination of case studies we conclude that many of the NTFP governance challenges can be met through building partnerships.

Which role for the non farm-sector in a forested landscape? Lessons from Krui, Indonesia.

ABSTRACT This article explores two interrelated premises. The first is that the non-farm sector is of increasing importance to rural household. The second is that non-farm growth reduces the pressure on natural resources. The article reports on an analysis of income trends in three villages in the Krui area, Sumatra, Indonesia, by comparing household survey data from 1995 and 2004. Between these two years, neither the farm sector nor the non-farm sector showed sustained growth. Although the contribution of remittances to local incomes remained marginal, migration of unemployed and unmarried youngsters to urban areas has a positive effect on per capita incomes in the Krui area by decreasing the household size. With regard to the second premise the analysis shows that increased engagement in local non-farm activities does not automatically result in smaller landholdings. Increased engagement in ex-situ non-farm activities, however, helps to reduce pressure on local forest resources.