Timber markets challenge Latin American forest communities
Timber markets challenge Latin American forest communities
Source: Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:11 AM
Author: Barbara Fraser
For indigenous communities and other forest dwellers in Latin America, reaping the benefits of timber depends not only on tenure rights, but also on how well they deal with markets, argues a new study.
The study undertaken in four communities – each with different characteristics, but representative of situations throughout the region – said everything from their proximity to markets and bargaining power to their level of dependency on wood for their livelihoods is critical.
That means policy makers must consider not just the communities, but all the players – including chainsaw operators, sawmills and intermediary buyers – when designing systems to strengthen forest management at the local level.
“Tenure is important for clarifying access rights to forest resources, but it is not the most important factor in determining how communities benefit,” said Center for International Forestry Research scientist Pablo Pacheco, author of Smallholders and communities in timber markets: Conditions shaping diverse forms of engagement in tropical Latin America published in a special issue of Conservation & Society.
More:
http://www.trust.org/item/20130619031139-jyaqu/?source=search
